SALT AND LIGHT
Being a lover of Jesus who spends most of his time working a 9 – 5 job in the field of engineering, I am becoming increasingly more aware of the importance of reflecting Jesus in the work place. I am gaining an understanding that God has strategically placed me in this sector, not only because he has gifted me with the talent and skills to design and engineer effectively, but to be a conduit for the atmosphere of heaven to infiltrate an environment that is so often dominated by the ways of man. God has placed us all in different sectors and industries, some of us work in education, government, health care, media, ministry etc. Regardless of where the Lord has placed you in terms of occupation, I believe the bigger picture is always to claim territory and advance the kingdom and mandate of heaven, in doing this we bring glory to our King. In order to achieve this, we must love God with all our hearts, and then love the people He has placed before us (Mark 12:29-31).
The only way to truly love the people placed before us is to first receive love from the one who is love Himself, through an intimate relationship with Him. In 1 John 4:8 we read, “whoever does not love, does not know God, because God is love”. As we develop the habit of sitting before the Lord in the secret place, He begins to unravel to us the mysteries of His glory, which leads to us becoming even more infatuated with Him. As our relationship with Him grows, we become more like Him and begin to reflect all that He is in the earth. As we go deeper with Him, we become the fruit of the Spirit which the Apostle Paul mentions in Galatians 5:22-23, “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”.
There was a time I was sitting with the Lord and I saw a vision of a fruit basket that was full of all kinds of fruit. I then heard the voice of the Lord say “eat”. In that moment, I gained the understanding that when we spend intimate time with Him, we become united with Him in one Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17). As His Spirit operates in and through us, we become the very fruit of the Spirit.
Our behaviour and actions in the work place environment becomes more in line with heaven. In stressful situations, we have and emanate peace. When we have been wronged, we forgive and love. When there is sadness or mourning, we release joy and gladness.
Dan Mohler once said, “When you squeeze an orange you get orange juice right? Wouldn’t it be weird if you squeezed an orange and got apple juice? Well isn’t it weird when you squeeze a Christian and get everything but Christ?” What he is alluding to here is that when true Christians are placed in difficult situations, you should expect their character and fruit to reflect Jesus.
“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”. (Matthew 5:13-14)
This scripture above is from the sermon on the mount given by Jesus. As followers of Jesus, we have been called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Salt is penetrating, quick and powerful, it purifies and cleanses, as well as preserves. We are to be an avenue of purification and preservation in the environment that we have been placed in. As Christians, we should affect and transform every environment we enter, rather than to be influenced negatively we are to bring the change of atmosphere. The goal should always be to bring the standard and culture of heaven into that environment.
Jesus also calls us the light of the world and a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. We become the light of the world when we unite with Him because He is the light of the world (John 8:12). Light and darkness cannot co-exist in the same space, light will always prevail. We are called to illuminate every dark crevice in the work spaces He has placed us in.
Let me encourage you to thank God for the work place you find yourself in. He has a great plan and purpose for you that goes beyond the job you have simply been employed to do. As you sit with Him, He will fill you with His light and grant you wisdom in how to best shine that light in your work place. My prayer is that as we become those that change atmospheres, we will be a people that ultimately bring glory to Jesus wherever we are.
Hamish Cooke | W5 Church
