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Bryan Kizer
Supporter
I am probably going to be in the minority here, but that's fine with me. I have made it clear that I'm not interested in being churchy, but being honest with questions like this. I find it hypocritical of the church to talk about wanting to reach the lost, but when it comes to going to reach them...they talk about doing community out reach...but they rarely do it from outside of the four walls of the church. I am of the belief that it's time that the church stop talking about reaching the lost...and start doing it. If you've been blessed with the opportunity to work...that means God has already opened a door. Rather than praying about it and asking for confirmation from people...ask God. He's big enough to answer your questions. We need to stop being so afraid that the world is going to infect us with sin, and start going into all the world like Jesus told us to. He never said we were going to bring the lost...even if it's an employer practicing willful sin...into the church by praying them in. He said go into the world and get them. Jesus said tha HE would be with us always. I mean...where does the church think Jesus would be today if He was walking the earth? Alot of them believe He'd be preaching from churches. Really? Most American churches don't invite Him in now. I believe He would be in the bars, drug houses, and the highways and biways. All the places the church is afraid to go. Why? Because those are the people He came for. Listen. YOU might be the person that reaches this employer. YOU might be the person they finally listen to, and YOU might be the person that leads this person to confessing Christ as their Lord and Savior. So, rather than wait until you wait yourself out of a job...if you have the opportunity...that means God's opened a door for YOU to be the light...and to bring the Light of Jesus into that place. If you want to pray...pray for God's protection and guidence...and for the perfect time and place to minister to this person. It's time the body of Christ stop going to church and start being the church. That's how we're going to reach the lost...not by sitting in our buildings hoping and praying that the world outside will walk through the doors on their own...we have to go into the world and get them out! Blessings & Grace to you.
Jennifer Rothnie
Supporter
The answer depends on many factors. It isn't so much a "you should/shouldn't" but rather "is it the wisest choice?". #1 How close is the employee/employer relationship going to be? We are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. While this often is used specifically as an admonition not to marry unbelievers, it actually it also applies to any contractual relationship or close tie where we are supposed to be headed in the same direction as another person. (II Cor 6:14-18) If you are offered a position as co-CEO, but your future partner has some unethical business practices, you may wish to decline unless your new authority is going to give you enough influence for change. If you are seeking a new roommate, but an applicant is a known drunk and partier, you should probably move on. If you know a potential boss will interfere with your daily life and force you to compromise your faith, then that isn't a healthy work situation, etc. The general work situation doesn't usually force such close ties, so this is not always an issue - but consider how much you will be "yoked" to the job. #2 How much is your reputation and witness tied in to the business? This again is not usually an issue, but it can be. If your job is, say, a Planned Parenthood rep, then you are going to get linked to abortion even if you are just a receptionist. If you work for Playboy, then you will get linked with fornication and pornography, etc. Most christian parents will be a bit disturbed if their daughter decides to work at a bikini Batista or as a lingerie model. To a broader extent, even working closely with organizations that attack the christian faith or support lifestyles of sin can affect our testimony or tempt us into sin ourselves. Use your own conscience for this, though. If your dream job is a bartender or working at a meat shop, don't be too disturbed if some teetotalers or vegetarians disapprove. [Just don't demand they in turn be ok with it or meet you for lunch at work]. #3 Will the job greatly interfere with your spiritual life? Some jobs require work on Saturdays or Sundays, making it difficult to attend a specific time of worship. Other jobs may have such a secular or anti-christian environment that you find yourself struggling to stay spiritually afloat. You may join in their sins such as gossip or slacking-off. While most obstacles can be overcome (meeting with Christians at an alternate time for worship or a small group, getting an accountability partner, etc) - there will be times where the job becomes the biggest stumbling block to spiritual growth. In such cases, it may be best to cut ties and trust God to provide. **** There is nothing sinful in working for an unbeliever in itself. Scripture has many cases of people who did so (Joseph and Daniel, for instance, though they didn't have as much choice). Also, we may find ourselves working under a commander or leader whom we don't agree with. In these cases, we are responsible to submit to authority, and the leader is responsible for the choices he makes. We are supposed to be in the world but not of it, so we shouldn't avoid work or volunteering for the sole reason that the boss is an unbeliever.
Dan Rivers
Supporter
It depends...The question asks, "Should" not "could" I would say NO you "shouldn't"...if you could find another job where you would feel this wasn't a problem......If you depend on this job and you can't find another, then you should continue in that job... Paul tells us that we can not escape the world and it's people, so we must associate with them otherwise we'd have to leave the planet! 1Cr 5:9-11 NIV - 9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. You can't win a war by being in the sidelines or way in the back safe and sound... Some of us are called by God to be in the front lines with unbelievers...How else would they see our light, how else would we be able to do the Lord's work and help them see the light? But having said that, everyone should make up his/her own mind... Pray and ask the Lord for guidance, he will not steer you wrong!
Tayo Stephen
Supporter
It is very important for Christian to know that we must preach out the words to the world, just as the Bible as commanded us in John 3:16. But while trying to reach out to people please do not compromise your faith. Let me use my life experience as example here so that other people can learn from me. I meet this lady and she enticed me, not that is beautiful, rich, influence or well educated, then I fell in love with her, but she is from another religion that I will not like to mention here. I keep saying to myself that I'm winning a soul for Christ, but every time I pray about the relationship, God speaks to me either through radio broadcast or books so I keep meeting the Bible passage 2 Corinthians 6:14, but the devil keeps hammering it in my heart that 'you are winning a soul for Christ,' is a good thing to win a soul for Christ that I know. So after some time I engaged myself in sexual immorality with her even outside marriage and subsequently problems begins to emanate. We all know when problems come that the first person that you will tell is your partner, but her suggestion to my problems was outside the Bible and at a time I began yielding to her suggestion, deviating from Christ little by little. Finally, I found myself seeking another religion's power for the solutions to my problems, and to cut the story short my Christian life begins to sink down. If not for the grace of God that found me back, I don't know what I will be saying now, but I wants us all to learn from these short story of my life. What I'm about here took me years to get myself back with the help of the holy spirit. Even if you are destined to work with unbeliever, please be prayerful and watchful, the devil is roaming about day and night seeking for who to devour, don't be a victim. DON'T LET YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE BE COMPROMISE. YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU. The Bible makes us to understand that seek first the kingdom of God and it's righteousness, and all other things, money and other things that money cannot buy will be added to you. Christian be watchful and prayerful. Thanks
Rajaraman V
Supporter
Please pray for them and keep them on your follow up list and do not exclude them because God did not give up on us either when we sinned knowingly, either. I insist on follow up because once they identify themselves that they are wrong and need help, we ought to help them by sharing the word of God and prayer of intercession. Jude 1: 23 Save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. Amen.
Mark Neidert
Supporter
Christians are not to conform to the world. We are not to behave like heathens. We do not go along to get along. So, if you work for the mafia, you should leave now but if you work for an abusive employer should you? You are spending 8 or more hours per day helping this employer enrich himself. If the employer is spending the money you help to make him are you an enabler of sin? I don't have an answer for you myself but I know that he Bible says if you esteem something to be a sin it is. Even if God has not proclaimed it a sin. Why, because you are willfully defying what you believe is God's will. I feel for you. It is becoming harder and harder to be a Christian in America. Capitalism itself works against us.
Steven Low
Supporter
In the Bible Joseph worked for Potiphar, and later for Pharaoh; Daniel and his friends served the Babylonian kings. But our Bible heroes bore effective testimonies before their pagan, sinful "employers/masters".
Jason Anderson
Supporter
I heard within the past few months on Elijah Streams of a person who felt called to work for an abortion clinic. They were an accountant or bookkeeper or something along that line, so they weren't doing anything directly with the abortions themselves. I questioned this until the story continued. Somewhere along the lines of the employment the owner/head honcho/whatever had asked them how they could always be so upbeat and positive all of the time. (I wasn't so surprised to find that someone advocating for abortions would be having a rough go of life.) He explained his passion for Jesus, and gave the short story of the gospel to the big boss. Long story short - that person gave their life to Christ and closed the doors on their clinic. I have no details on any of the story, and did not bother trying to search out if it were true or not. But the moral of the story aligns with scripture. Share the gospel to those who need it, when the opportunity arises. I would add that it would not have worked if they walked in the door telling them all they were going to he'll everyday they came to work. This would only have pushed them away (think of the many christian-bashing people you have seen. How did they get such disdain?) Jesus would never have been able to convert as many to the true will of God if he "played it safe" and stuck with only those living as close to a sinless life as you could under the old covenant. (You were almost certain not to be completely sinless under the old covenant.) Love others, and try to see them as God sees them. Not as a fallen neighbor or coworker - but as a beautiful spirit, that came from the bosom of the most high, that your Father desperately wants to return to Him.
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