HRISTIANS HAVE A RELIGIOUS VALUE system, and special spiritual messages to share. But Christians still need to function in the secular workplace. A company usually treats Christians like other workers, yet many times implicitly expects them to perform extraordinarily. Often the secular managements do not credit and value Christianity unless Christian workers' behaviors and performances are superior to those of other workers. Therefore, I believe that Christian workers must exert themselves in job performance and human relations in order to acquire reasonable accommodations and understanding of our religious beliefs.

How can a Christian worker successfully function in the secular workplace? How can a Christian worker ensure his/her job security during a period of critical economic recession?
From a human resource management point of view, I believe Christian workers need to successfully prove themselves in the following four areas:

1. Job Performance: Christians must work hard and smart to be competent, and to become an asset to the organization. Their employers will then treasure and count on them with confidence in their professionalism and loyalty. Christian influence by Christian workers must be expressed explicitly in their continuous self-improvement, expertise, diligence, and excellence in tasks accomplished. These solid evidences prove that Christian workers are dependable and professional workers. In order for Christian workers to become the best and the brightest workforce, extra miles and continuous efforts in learning technology innovation, product development, and service delivery to meet the company's strategic trends should be a priority.

2. Human Relations: In order to gain respect and recognition as Christian workers, they need to provide extraordinary values and services to their company's customers. Christian workers must know how to practice their unique Christian influence and human relations skills in the workplace, and how to treat customers with courtesy and care.

To establish the demands and network with customers are always the key for job security. Because of some political decisions, company management will sometimes downsize the workforce in order to secure their positions and avoid the shutdown of their business. Christian workers normally are victims of these political decisions. Therefore, as a minority they should stand tall during the critical moments and let the company know that if they are fired, the company may also damage sales and/or their relationships with customers. Hence, maintaining excellent relationships with customers becomes very imperative and essential to a Christian worker's job security.

However, your value is not limited to external customers, but should extend to internal customers, such as your peers, your boss, your subordinates, your stockholders, who are also potential heavenly customers, for whose friendship Christian workers need to walk the extra mile. The source of motivation for doing these good deeds is derived from heaven instead of worldly monetary or promotion rewards.

3. Leadership: Christian workers must have a clear vision for climbing the managerial leadership "ladder." It is not the pursuit of name and position, but leadership. Many Christian workers possess heavenly charisma and talents, but bury them, mistaking this for humility. In the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30), the biblical teaching seeks to motivate us to develop our potential, talents, and leadership abilities, as well as to know how to allocate our resources to lead successfully. A Christian has long been equipped by biblical instruction to be a charismatic, transformational, ethical servant and spiritual leader. Don't be afraid to assume a leadership position.

In terms of charismatic leadership, Christians must practice their charisma and Christian influence to attract others to the Lord. And the workplace needs that charisma and influence to motivate and lead workers.

In terms of transformational leadership, Christians are transformed and converted by salvation, and also bear the mission responsibility to transform and educate others to accept this salvation. The religious rebirth experience gives Christian workers a better understanding of their role when assuming leadership--that of motivating and transforming secular workers from lower morale, productivity, and tolerance. We know that the transformational power is the work of the Holy Spirit, but we need to become the instruments to explicitly do the people contacts.

In terms of ethical leadership, Christian workers (should) understand what is right and what is wrong better than others do. Many companies like to promote workers to the leadership positions in consideration of their characters, morality, and higher ethical standards. It is mainly because they need the leader to set examples for others.

In terms of servant leadership, Christian workers should pursue leadership positions not from self-interest or a desire for power in order to manipulate others, but from a desire to use power to serve others. Christian workers should not hesitate to take the promotion opportunity to gain power for serving others. Thus, they can become light and salt to the world.

4. Diversity Beauty: Christian workers are heavenly inspired unique workers who create a cultural diversity for the system. The roles and functions of Christian workers in a system are to create harmony, positive life viewpoints, healthful lifestyles, and productive work atmospheres. Many Christians attempt to hide their identity, forgetting how important they are to creating a cultural beauty for the organization.

Malpractice in the Workplace
Christian workers need to avoid malpractice in the workplace. The secular company views Christians as having higher behavioral standards, and questions the integrity and characters of Christians more rigidly than it views those of others. Therefore, following are some behaviors that Christian workers must be very careful not to commit in the workplace:

Lax attendance: Christian workers must establish the basic reputation of job reliability and dependability. Fundamental work ethics are expected by almost all organizations. No unexcused absences and tardiness, chronic absenteeism, or leaving without permission should be practiced and tolerated by Christian workers. We must separate ourselves from the common behaviors of many secular workers.

Dishonesty: Taking office stationery, falsifying employment applications and records, and falsifying the traveling reports and spending dollars in purchasing are character and integrity problems. Christian workers must refrain from walking into those temptations.

Carelessness: Christian workers must maintain punctuality--even completing the work two or three days before the deadline, if necessary, to reserve time for revision and improvements. Producing substandard products and services and failing to meet established procedures and policies should be intolerable for Christian workers.

Antagonism: Have you as a Christian worker been rude and unpleasant to coworkers, customers, or vendors? Have you used abusive or threatening language with others? Gossiped, slandered, or made up stories to accuse others?

Negativity: The organization dislikes hiring a worker who always complains no matter what he or she is asked to do. Willingness to cooperate and capability in taking orders are very essential in work ethics. Christian workers must avoid negative attitudes that bring everybody down.

Lack of motivation: The organization does not like hiring a worker who lacks motivation and initiative, and requires constant supervision. These kinds of workers keep the status quo and don't have vision and ambition to make progress and change. Many eloquent talkers prevail in organizations rather than action takers. In order to assume leadership, Christian workers must distinguish themselves from the gossip makers by actively participating in leaders' projects and learning about leaders' practices and mentality.

Insubordination: Christian workers, who obey God and His law, should know better how to obey the secular leader in the workplace. We also should not challenge our boss in front of other workers. This is disrespectful, and is the most common fatal mistake many make.

Personal problems: Most organizations do not welcome any personal, family, emotional, financial, or marital problems to interfere or intervene on the workday. In order to acquire reasonable accommodation on Sabbath or possibly even with dietary issues, Christian workers may need to minimize all the extra personal problems for the company and actively seek pastoral counseling, if available.

Permeating Our Workplaces
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and give light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:13-16, NIV).

A Christian is defined as "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world." We must not lose our Christian nature, tastes, virtues, and influences in the secular workplace, or hide our talents for fear of assuming leadership. But we should permeate our workplaces with our Christian influence. We must let our good deeds shine and let God's name be glorified.

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Jerry L. Chi, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Business Administration Department of Southwestern Adventist University, in Keene, Texas.