Archive for the 'Southern Baptist Convention' Category
Faith in the Workplace
One of the greatest opportunities afforded to followers of Jesus Christ in America is the ability to live out our faith in the workplace. At least 140 million Americans regularly enter the workplace.
What it Means to Live Out Your Faith in the Workplace
Living out your faith in the workplace involves integrating your faith in Christ into every decision of your life, including the workplace. Taking your faith into the workplace also means you seek to please God in your decision making rather than other people.
One cannot conduct oneself in a manner that is inconsistent with their faith, nor can they can they make decisions that are opposite of the convictions of their faith in Christ.
Integrating faith into the workplace is the greatest need in the life of every American worker.
How to Integrate Your Faith into the Workplace
I want to share four ways you can integrate your faith into the workplace.
1. Know what you believe
It is so important to know what you believe in order to integrate your faith into each segment of your life. Knowing what you believe entails many things, but it includes reading the Bible daily and being involved weekly in a local church. It also means you are teachable and ready to learn about your faith.
You cannot and will not advance your faith into the workplace if you do not know what you believe.
2. Preserve your personal testimony
Forwarding your faith in Christ effectively will not occur if you have led others to question your beliefs or something you have done has caused you to lose your personal testimony. Infidelity to your spouse, insensitivity to others, unethical practices in your decision making, slothfulness in your work, and operating your life inconsistently can all lead to the loss of your personal testimony.
Always operate your life above reproach, make ethical decisions in your practices, work diligently, and live your personal life consistently.
3. Operate within your work parameters
Living out your faith in the workplace is not pounding it loudly and proudly through every text, email, or conversation in the workplace. If you do, this is probably outside of the parameters of your workplace.
Living out your faith with your attitude, practices, and conversations with courage is a great privilege extended to us in America—the privilege of religious liberty. Not one of us should ever be forced into doing something that violates what we believe because of our faith in Christ.
Thankfully, it is rare in our nation that the overreach of the workplace or the government itself brings a restraint upon our faith in the workplace. If it ever does, then stand with conviction and courage, but also with compassion.
4. Incorporate your faith everywhere
Incorporating your faith in every segment of your life leads to becoming whole. This negates any compartmentalization of your faith, but integrates it into each area of your life. This includes your workplace.
Integrate your faith into your workplace today.
Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
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Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the Senior Pastor of Cross Church, founder of the Cross Church School of Ministry, and host of the Ronnie Floyd on Life and Leadership Today podcast.
To request an interview with Dr. Ronnie Floyd
contact Gayla Oldham at (479) 751-4523 or email gaylao@crosschurch.com.
Visit our website at http://ronniefloyd.com
Follow Dr. Floyd on Twitter and Instagram @ronniefloyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
When Trust is Gone
All relationships are built upon the foundation of trust. Friendship, marriage, parenting, business, partnerships, teams, education, government, churches, and leadership are built upon trust. Everything is built upon trust.
What happens when trust begins to erode? What happens when trust is gone completely?
Skepticism Emerges
When trust begins to erode, skepticism emerges. People begin to doubt the truth, not just about the issue at hand, but about everything the person or organization is trying to communicate. When this happens, recklessness begins to rule among all involved. Without a major change occurring quickly, credibility declines and eventually ceases.
Dependability Subsides
When the simplest of commitments are not fulfilled, dependability subsides. A person’s dependability is built upon trust. Lack of follow-through always leads to the forfeiture of trust. Again, even in the simplest things. When you give your word to others, others expect you to fulfill your word.
Confidence Leaves
As trust departs, confidence departs. When people lose confidence in a person, it is hard to retrieve and regain. It is very challenging to regain a person’s confidence, but it can be done.
Leadership Ceases
People do not follow leaders they do not trust. Whether something simple or major, a leader forfeits his or her leadership when trust erodes.
When trust is gone, the price is high and the future becomes bleak.
Is There a Way to Recapture Trust Again?
Can trust be recaptured? Not always, but sometimes.
While trust can be recaptured with a few people, oftentimes it is necessary to start over.
Each situation is different. There is no general way to address each of these situations.
Regardless, if you realize that you are in a situation where trust has eroded or is perhaps even gone, it is incumbent upon you to do all you can to make things right again with as many people as possible. Therefore…
- Complete honesty needs to occur
- Deep repentance and change must happen
- There must be a sincere commitment to do whatever it takes to make things right
From this point, only the Lord knows the future. But when this point comes, it is no longer about the individual, but also what is best for the other people, organization, business, ministry, or relationship that has experienced the loss of trust.
Each must go forward. Each must do what is right before God. While they may not be able to go forward together, they can each go forward with a new appreciation for the power of trust in a relationship.
Never underestimate the priceless value of trust.
Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
*******
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the Senior Pastor of Cross Church, founder of the Cross Church School of Ministry, and host of the Ronnie Floyd on Life and Leadership Today podcast.
To request an interview with Dr. Ronnie Floyd
contact Gayla Oldham at (479) 751-4523 or email gaylao@crosschurch.com.
Visit our website at http://ronniefloyd.com
Follow Dr. Floyd on Twitter and Instagram @ronniefloyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.