Working in the corporate world lends itself to challenges. Sometimes things can be so… sterile and uninspiring. The challenge to constantly be “on” can be exhausting. Today our team sat through a team building type meeting to discuss how we can be more efficient. I was totally prepared to hear another “sermon” on time management, process building, yadda yadda yadda… However, this time the overarching point that was made was that in order to be efficient, we have to be self-evaluating and humble… huh? We need to build trust and assume the best of those with whom we work…. wait what? We need to not worry about being “superstars”, but rather work together so that our goal can be the star… stop the presses!

Listening to all this stuff, I realized how closely it models Christian values and principles detailed in the Bible! It was refreshing seeing the confirming looks on my co-workers as they listened and acknowledged. It was great to secretly smile knowing that these were age-old principles that were not new but in the light of a fallen and broken world and workplace, they are refreshingly new and innovative!

The best line I heard was when the speaker said that sometimes we get so focused on the bricks and forget about the mortar. The point was that relationships are the most important part of business and life and sometimes we can put all the work and effort into the project of the “bricks” and forget about the relationship “mortar”. We don’t put the same effort and intentionality into relationship building… so true!

So what is the challenge? Well, by being the “light of the world” we are truly glorifying the Lord and in so doing, we are inspiring those around us to work and live by principles that they might not even fully understand. I think the thing that is missing is that we should work on the “mortar”, not so that our teams and projects are efficient, but so that we can develop the trust with those around so that we can speak candidly about the gospel. With that “sweat equity”, trust can be built and our good news will be received!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Jesse Horne