Go with the way God has created relationships

God has made our world to function in particular ways.

We live most effectively in God’s world when we observe the patterns of creation and live according to them. For example, it’s easier to work with gravity than to go against it. So when a friend of mine wanted to get his best time in a half marathon, he chose the flattest marathon course he could. Observing the creational pattern and acting accordingly made his run easier and quicker than it would otherwise have been—the fewer hills, the better!

Similarly, God has created human relationships to function in a certain order, and there is wisdom in going with that order rather than ignoring his creational patterns.

The apostle Paul recognizes this as he gives advice to Timothy, a young pastor who was overseeing the Ephesian church:

Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. - 1 Tim 5:1-2, NIV

Stop and consider: Have you ever thought about applying these principles to sharing Jesus at work?

Older leading younger

God has created the older to lead the younger. So as a general rule it will be easier to talk about Christ at work with someone who is younger. It’s more natural for them to show you respect and be willing to listen. Trying to tell an older person how to live is not impossible, but it requires a lot of tact.

In the passage above, Paul tells Timothy, “Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father”. Timothy is still to rebuke the older man if need be, but he is to do it gently and with respect. His ministry will be more fruitful if he follows God’s creational patterns and treats people accordingly.

As a young accountant, I invited the partner of the firm to an outreach Easter breakfast. I was so nervous as I knocked on the door of his office and invited him along. Surprisingly, he said yes and came to the event, but I was so overwhelmed as we walked back to the office that I didn’t know what to say as a follow-up.

By contrast, a few years earlier I was able to convince a guy who was about my age to do four Investigating Christianity studies with me. Because we were peers, I felt totally comfortable persuading him to read the Bible. In a similar way, when I do ‘walk up’ evangelism I always try to approach people who are younger than me (I’ve got more people to choose from these days!). It just feels a lot more natural that way.

I’m not saying that it’s impossible to minister to older people. Don’t stop trying. But if you have a choice, remember that it’s easier to bring the gospel to people who are around your age or younger than you.

Men and women

In the same passage Paul warns Timothy to treat “younger women as sisters, with absolute purity” (v. 2). Paul recognizes the temptations inherent in ministering to people of the opposite sex.

This is good advice for us as we seek to bring the gospel to people in our workplaces. Where you have a choice, it might be wiser to focus on people of the same gender as you. This is because sharing Christ effectively often involves getting to know the other person well, spending time with them and building rapport. Doing this with someone of the opposite gender could easily be misconstrued and it may put you in a tempting situation.

So be wise and careful as you seek to bring Christ to those around you at work. Go with the flow of God’s creational patterns and your ministry will be more fruitful and pleasing to God.

Pray: Thank God for his creational patterns and for who he has made you to be. Pray for sensitivity and wisdom as you relate to other people.