“Congratulations on your election. I would like to ask you to please not take your faith to work with you – keep your personal life separate from your professional life.”
And with that comment the room went quiet. All eyes turned to the one who was celebrating his election. How would the politician respond to this exhortation?
The scenario was recently relayed to me about a Christian politician who had been elected. It was widely known in his community that he is a man of faith. He is well respected by many: clearly enough to get him elected. At his election celebration there was a point in the evening when people in attendance were given the opportunity to give their congratulations and exhortations to the man who would now represent them.
Somewhere in this jubilant and celebratory time the sentiments outlined above were shared.
What? How could you say something like that at a time like this? Knowing who he is, it’s a slap in the face per se.
How would he respond? A hush fell over the festivities…
Clearly this was not the first time he had heard that position. Keep the separation of church and state. Don’t let your personal beliefs bias your ability to govern. What goes on in your personal life should stay there. Don’t impose your values on others. Don’t disrespect people of other faiths by forcing your convictions on them.
We hear these sentiments all the time, and they often seem very convincing.
How would you answer this question?
I was very impressed with the Christian politician’s response. He thanked the person for their well wishes and their exhortation. The sentiment of his response was as follows:
“I don’t quite understand what you mean by not taking my faith to work with me. If what you mean is that I should not be loving, kind, generous, respectful, gracious, patient, good, peaceful, faithful, self-controlled, courageous, self-less, sacrificial, honest, trustworthy and hard-working, then I am afraid that I cannot refuse to be so. This is who I am and who I aspire to be, and it is my faith that compels and empowers me to be this kind of man.”
Wow.
I wish I could have been in attendance at this event. What a response. What wisdom. What a beautiful answer.
Sadly, what Christians have been historically known for is what we oppose – what we are against. I have no doubt that this mindset was in part behind the exhortation given to this politician. He turned it around in a wonderfully brilliant fashion to indicate the kinds of values that anyone would want in a political representative. And, it is those very values, those very character qualities, which are the result of our faith.
Jesus spoke to the religious posers of his day that they needed to produce fruit in keeping with their repentance. In other words, if we are truly partnering with Jesus in glorious submission to His lordship our behaviour will change; our values will change; our character will change.
The evidence of us being Spirit-filled is the kind of character that our Christian politician friend outlined and demonstrated.
Jesus also said that if we love Him we will obey His commands. His commands revolve around sacrificial love for others. It is Godly character that enables us to selflessly love others. It is the Spirit of God at work in us that changes our hearts and enables us to “produce fruit in keeping with our repentance.”
How should we take our faith to work? More in deed than in word. Should we use words to communicate our faith? Certainly. However, it is our deeds – our wholehearted, loving, selfless works of service – that creates favour in those we work with who are then subsequently drawn to learn more about what makes us the way we are. Or more accurately, “who” makes us the way we are.
May we be men who are actively working to see the fruit of the Spirit demonstrated in our lives in a fashion that serves others in sacrificial love.
By all means take your faith to work with you. Yes, by all means – how can we not do so?
Galatians 5:22, 23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Colossians 1: 9, 10
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,”
John 3:8
“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”
James 2:17
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”