I had the opportunity to speak to a wonderful group at Truth in Love Counseling on living out our faith at work. This is part 5 of a five-part series inspired by that talk.
Here are some additional ways I personally tried to integrate my faith with my work. Hopefully they will be helpful to you as well:

Connect with Your Team Members and Co-Workers. Get to Know Them as People, not just for the Role they Play in the Workplace. 

As a leader, my first meeting with a new team member was always just about them, not about the work (unless they specifically addressed it). I called these “Getting to Know You” meetings. I wanted to know about them, their families, etc., basically what was important to them. How can you lead and serve someone if you don’t know what is significant to them?

One of my favorite leadership authors is John Maxwell. He has said that the people on your team won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. We should be leaders who are known to care about their team members and co-workers. We should see them as people with families, dreams, goals and concerns, and not resources.

The best example of this was demonstrated by one of my executives. Terry stands out as someone who excelled in connecting with those he led. Whenever he moved to a new area, or a new leader came into his area, he would meet with them for the purpose of making a connection. It was more than a typical “Meet and Greet”. He would run the meeting, asking the questions, none of which had to do with work. In these meetings, he listened closely, truly demonstrating that he cared about you as an individual.
It’s kind of funny thinking back to my meeting with him, and his takeaways about me. He remembered that I left my wife a note each weekday morning. Because of that, he called me “Casanova”. He picked up that we almost always ate out, and I never ate leftovers. He also remembered that my wife and I would go to the movies every Friday night. As we worked on the same floor of our office campus, we would often run into each other. He used the information he had obtained in our meeting, to make a personal connection. Even years after our meeting, he would often ask “What movie are you going to this week”? Or, “What good movies have you seen lately”? That would make me feel good, knowing that my leader, two levels above me, knew something about me. Making a personal connection with those you lead or work with, can make them feel special and valued.

Consistently Demonstrating a Positive Attitude and Approach. A positive attitude has always been something that is very important to me. I always said that I would rather have someone on my team with less talent and experience with a great attitude than someone with more talent and experience with a poor attitude. This quote by Chuck Swindoll, who recently announced his retirement as pastor as he nears 90 years of age, on attitude is one of my favorites:

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.  It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.  It will make or break a company… a church… a home.  The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day.  We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play the one string we have, and that is our attitude… I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
And so, it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes”

Pray for Those You Will Interact With That Day. As I would drive into work each morning, I’d pray for those that I knew I will encounter that day in meetings. I would pray that I would shine Christ’s light, representing Him, and serve others well. I would also think about how I didn’t know what would happen that day, but He did. Praying about our work and the people we work with is a great way to start the day and integrate our faith and work.

Offer to Pray for Team Members and Co-Workers

Related to our previous item, offer to pray for those you work with when you hear of them going through difficulties (problems with their children, health issues, relationship issues, etc.). I never had anyone tell me that they didn’t want me to pray for them. And, it’s important to follow-up with them later to see how things are going.  

Be Salt and Light in the Workplace

In his “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 6, Jesus calls his disciples to be the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world”:  
You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Hugh Whelchel, in his article “Jesus Showed Us That Being Salt and Light is True Power” shares this quote from pastor and author John Stott about being the salt of the earth and light of the world:
“The world, he says, is like rotting meat. But you are to be the world’s salt. The world is like a dark night, but you are to be the world’s light. This is the fundamental difference between the Christian and the non-Christian, the church and the world.”
What does it mean to be salt and light in the workplace? In his book Living Salty and Light-Filled Lives in the Workplace , Luke Bobo tells us that work is the most logical and likely place where Christians should be making the greatest impact. Salty and light-filled workers influence their peers; they push back the effects of sin and expose darkness.  When we live salty and light-filled lives in the workplace, others will witness or see our good works and give God our Father praise. As a believer, you are salt, which means that you inhibit decay, and add flavor. You are also light, which means that you dispel the darkness, and illuminate the way so others can see. Russ Gehrlein in his book Immanuel Labor—God’s Presence in Our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work, writes that “We must shine the light of Christ in dark places and become part of His work to bring common grace to all who are made in His image”.

Whatever You Do, Do it to the Glory of God

I realize that we are all in different stages of life as far as our callings and vocations. Some of us are early in our career, some in the middle, while others are toward the end of their careers and some are retired. What I want to encourage you with in this series is that no matter what you do, or who you do it for, to do it all to the best of your ability for the glory of God. In 1 Corinthians 10:31, the Apostle Paul writes “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”. In Colossians 3:23, he writes “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Don’t miss this. He said “Whatever you do”. He doesn’t care if you are a CEO, sweep the floors at the airport, are a stay-at-home mom, a farmer, are retired or in a nursing home. In all of these situations it is “Whatever you do”.

I hope you have benefited from our series on living out our faith at work. What would you add to this discussion?