Blisters, Sweat, Excellence At Work: Christian Witness To Impact Our Culture

Christians in Business

Yesterday I presented an educational message for a group of Christian Business people. I prayed, I called in prayer and I was most hopeful for us to connect on what our challenges are in maintaining our faith while being productive and profitable in a secular marketplace.

A few interesting incidents occured on my way to the podium in the days leading up to this event. A small home group that is key to my Christian life met on Thursday night. In our discussion we talked about witnessing in our lives at work. One woman spoke of a business that has a Christian message on their answering device. Others of us mentioned how we decide how much to say about our faith; and how much to show in action, with no words on the job.

One businessman with a large development, building, leasing company expressed concern for the person who is quick to speak of faith, but then disappoints in delivery of excellence, integrity etc. He is well known in our community as a Christian leader. He said he is cautious when interviewing someone if they are so vocal in expressing their Christianity. He has been burned by people who could talk a better game than they delivered in job execution.

I spoke yesterday on the business need for networking, but I concluded with a Biblical example of excellence in work by Bezalel who was the first man recorded in the Bible to be filled with the Spirit of God. Bezalel was a craftsman who well knew blisters and sweat in a day's work.

Read this scripture..."And God provided for Moses the skilled craftman, filled with "the spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge,and with all craftsmanship." Ex 35:31.

The work on the ark of the Covenant and the tabernacle was holy. Bezalel was obviously good at his trade, but oh imagine what joy he had working filled with the Holy Spirit on the great assignments of building the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant.

Robert Capon writes, "Culture change can come only from caring enough about things to want them to be themselves excellent...to want:

• the poem to scan perfectly


• the song to be genuinely melodic


• the basketball actually to drop through the middle of the hoop


• the edge of the board to be utterly straight


• the pastry to be really flaky

He goes on..."Few of us have many great things to care about, but we all have plenty of small ones." Robert Capon, Bed and Board, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1968. p. 109

Is your work showing?