In my last few blog posts, we have been exploring the idea of workplace advocacy for believers as well as the importance of Christ-followers finding just causes to fight for. In this post, let’s talk about the ways in which workplace credibility gives space for workplace advocacy.
Building Workplace Credibility
As already stated, workplace credibility is our faithfulness to the position we hold in our company, business, or organization. In healthy environments, workplace credibility is built incrementally over a period of time — months or even years. It means trust, reliance, and the promise that we will show up consistently in the same way every time.
We are specifically referring to credibility in the workplace, but I’ve held both ministry and marketplace positions that were quickly handed to me. Needless to say, I was not ready for the position, though those above me hardly took notice. In the end, everything came apart at the seams when I realized there was severe chaos and toxicity that I would never be able to thrive in. My examples are relevant because we must recognize that credibility is not haphazardly given out after two or three work shifts or church meetings. There should be a trackable record of faithful stewardship for comparison.
Faithful Stewardship
Stewardship is how we take care of the things that we have been given authority or oversight to look after. It is a major component of workplace credibility, and even more so for believers of Jesus. Things such as how tidy we keep our desk, our punctuality, and our faithfulness to work completion contribute to our faithful stewardship. When we are deemed faithful, we are given more weight in the positions we hold. An example of this in the Bible is Adam: It was only after he carefully tended to the animals and land God placed in his care that he was given more responsibility.
Several years ago, I worked in a call center. It was a great job, but I knew that the opportunities for growth and workplace advancement were few. Honestly, I just hoped to work this job as I finished graduate school. Anyway, I had a sign hung over my desk that I wrote during a team building exercise. On it, I wrote that I would steward my work and customer interactions as unto God. It was important to me to be found faithful in my position, and as long as I worked there, I tried my best to steward the role well.
Our stewardship should serve as a testimony of God’s hand on our lives as well as minister to others. The care in which we do our due diligence, allow ourselves to be inconvenienced for others, and share the light should stand as a testament that Jesus gives us joy. Being found in him makes everyday better so we can give our best no matter what we do.
True Workplace Advocacy
Only when we’ve shown ourselves faithful and stewarded our work well are we in a position for workplace advocacy. Remember, workplace advocacy affords us the opportunity to advocate for others as well as advocate for ourselves. Our insight and wisdom becomes one that is trusted among the organization. We’re also afforded an opportunity to minister and share the gospel with others.
At this same job where I said that I wanted to steward my position well, I was often among the top performers and was given many opportunities to explore other departments. On days when calls barely came in, I was asked to go assist other departments in their tasks for the day. I was also selected to serve as the spokesperson for my subdepartment regarding quality assurance measures. I committed to being faithful in my role and was rewarded with the ability to speak on the behalf of my entire team.
If you don’t think you’ve built up enough workplace credibility, take a look at why you feel that way. Pray into it as well, and ask God to show you. How could you do better at stewarding the work before you? How could you do a better job at positioning yourself for workplace advocacy? It is sometimes difficult to examine ourselves, but if we want to be deemed trustworthy enough to be the voice of the voiceless in the marketplace, it is necessary to be introspective. Workplace credibility should be our currency.
Featured photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash; in-text photo by Benjamin Child on Unsplash
Did You Know That You Are a Minister?
You may not be ordained in your local church or serve in full-time ministry, but did you know that you’re a minister? Your place of influence is in the marketplace.
Have you let your influence wane? Have you declared your faith with those you spend the most time with, your coworkers? If not, Follower of One is here to serve you.
Our goal at Follower of One is to help every believer become more sure of their faith so that they can share it with others. We have many resources available to equip you for this purpose. Our exclusive virtual community is for any believer that would like to connect with other believers to discuss their Christian walk. In our community, we also offer a Marketplace Mission Trip where you are taught the five daily habits you want to incorporate into your routine to help you serve God and others better. You can also purchase the Marketplace Mission Trip Workbook to share the experience with others outside of our online community. You can also solidify your ministry mindset with the Ministry Mindset Challenge or become a partner of Follower of One when you donate to the ministry.
There is something for every follower of Christ, no matter where they are on their journey. It is our hope to stretch you in your beliefs so that you can bring others to know Jesus. How can we help you?
