God Is Still in the Workplace
...if We Show Up
by Teresa Devine
“God is not allowed in the workplace” is a common sentiment implicitly and explicitly stated today. As I
ponder the statement, I find myself agreeing that slowly and intentionally our society has supported the dismantling of overtly recognizing God and of our ability to express our faith in our workplaces, but I am left with
a burning question. If we are walking through the door at our place of work, how can God not be allowed in
these spaces? As Christ followers, we are asked to be the vessels of Christ’s light shining within our homes,
churches, social lives, workplaces and schools. Therefore, God still exists in all places if we simply show up
wearing our garments of truth with finely stitched fabric made of Christ-like character.
It is understandable that we struggle with the decisions made over the last several decades that quenched
prayer in our schools and our ability to speak freely and overtly about our faith during our work day without
repercussions, but I encourage us not to allow the movement to become an excuse to stop showing up as His
disciples. Being who we are is the ultimate tool towards leading others to a beautiful life with Christ.
The power of discipleship is the cornerstone of each and every mission field. Our mission field and our ministry is everywhere, with everyone, all of the time. Anyone that we may encounter who does not know Jesus is
an opportunity to show up for God and allow Him to use us as a vessel during those meetings. We are a society
that likes to compartmentalize our lives and separate behavior based on audience or event. Each and every
encounter in our day creates an opportunity to bring God into the situation just by sharing Godly character.
Many pastors say that the workplace is the most difficult place to have a ministry. I would agree with that
observation. In 2014, after a forty day exploration to find ministry work in Rwanda and South Africa which
extended into an eight months hiatus, God confirmed that the best place for me to spend a majority of my time
serving Him was back in corporate America. I can validate the challenges of maintaining a Christ-like example
during the high demands and pressures of being a technology leader. I thrive on big challenges and I delight
in working with so many wonderfully diverse individuals within this area of my mission field. It is the perfect
opportunity for me to show up for God every day, showing great kindness, compassion, integrity, joy aligned
with an attitude of service and promoting service minded leadership. These actions are built on a foundation of
serving God first, the company second, the team third and myself last. However, it is not effortless under work
demands and real pressures; therefore, it requires a commitment of daily discipline.
Every morning I must seek the strength of God by spending time in scripture to be an effective servant
leader. On the days that I skip my morning time with the Lord, I fail miserably. However, I get up the next day
putting a priority on my time with God to equip my actions and character with His strength vs. mine. People
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