Honouring Your Witness
*Article featured in Valour Magazine's Issue 6*
I work in an environment where, “I hope you get some good sex!” is the new “Have a nice weekend!”
Sitting at the desk of a popular UK fashion retailer, honouring my witness has been tougher than I thought it would be. Let’s be clear, choosing to honour your witness 9-5 isn’t for those who want to fit in. You have to be prepared to be mocked, laughed at, questioned and alienated. You just can’t fit in and be a true representative of Christ – you can’t do both. No matter how much you try – trust me I know.
Allow me to briefly take you down memory lane. Before, when the obligatory, “What’s everyone doing tonight?” question was asked on a Friday and the chorus of “Pre-drinks at mine, then going on a p**s up/Hopefully getting f****d” had been sung I would smile, wryly. As my turn to chime in approached my mouth used to dry up. I wanted to say Bible study meeting, but the silence, deep breaths and side eyes and that I knew would insue stopped me. Then one day I sat down and took time to ask myself, “If my colleagues can be proud of who they represent, why can’t I be proud of Who I represent?”
Work the following Monday was a little different. All I knew was I had to represent my Jesus in everything and not just merely accept the cultures of the workplace. So I had to ask Sarah to chill on the curse works when engaging in a conversation with me to which she replied, “Is it because you’re a Christian?” Yes, because I need to not only guard my heart but my ears as much. Constantly hearing curse could result in me using curse words and I can’t use the same mouth and worship God at the same time.
I had to kindly explain to a congregation of colleagues why I have nothing to add when they talk about their sexcapades – this was most challenging to me. They simply couldn’t fathom where I was coming from, celibacy was as foreign to them as Tinder was to me. It was so strange for them to understand that in God’s Kingdom, sex was design for married people only. I had to gently defend my Christianity in the presence of my colleagues because it’s what is true.
How important is honouring your witness at work to you? Do you colleagues know you’re a Christian? Is it important to you for them to know? For it was, so I had to consciously recreate my environment.
Today, my colleagues don’t use curse words around me and pardon themselves if they do so in my presence. It’s not a boast but if they can validate their cultures amongst colleagues in the place of work and be shameless about it, then why not I?
They don’t use the Lord’s Name in vain in my presence and pardon themselves if they find themselves doing so. They respect my faith in Christ and don’t make comments that will offend my faith and beliefs. Not because I clicked and pointed fingers here and there. Not because I commanded and ordered here and there. But simply because if it’s okay for them to ‘manifest’ in unrighteous ways, then it was very okay for me to ‘manifest’ the environment that I wanted, the environment that edifies me, that environment that encourages me in the faith.
A manager came up to me and asked me for my opinion on a creative concept for an upcoming campaign. The manager asked me if using the phrase, ‘It’s Bible’ to express that a clothing line is a must-have would offend me. I explained to them that it wouldn’t offend me. I explained to them that I understood the creativity and the play of words, but also know that if something is not ‘Bible’ then it is not ‘Bible’. I went on to say that some Christians may not appreciate it so it may also generate so negative feedback. The phrase was still used, but my part was to honour my witness and stand up for Jesus.
Has it been a walk in the park doing this? Heck no! Still isn’t. I’ve been singled out, I’ve been alienated. Silence sometimes occurs when I arrive in the middle of a conversation. It’s uncomfortable and doesn’t always feel nice. But standing up for the Gospel isn’t always going to ‘feel nice’, is it? Ask Jesus.
Honestly ask yourself; who do you represent at work? The King of kings or the Prince of this world?