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of Knowing & Doing From the Summer 2007 issue of Knowing & Doing:
Impacting the Workplace for Christ
by Chris T. Morris
Executive Director, Alpha USA
s I have gone deeper in my Christian walk, I have struggled to figure out how I can impact the culture for Christ. I have had a strong desire to impact others for God’s kingdom—family, friends, co-workers, and my community—but I haven’t known how to do so. I have questioned what my calling is and how God intends for me to use the spiritual gifts He has given me. Many of my friends have similar questions, and a few have found their calling in the church. I’ve come to believe that my calling is outside the church.
It seems that I walked by the “burning bush” many times before I noticed that God was showing himself to me at my job. For many years I’ve wrestled with how to be salt and light, never realizing that my ministry could be at work. God has chosen that I serve Him at my job, and as a result I have seen significant changes in how I view and perform my duties. My perspective has changed—
• from performing a job for my employer to fulfilling my calling from Christ
• from being a manager to being a leader
• from personal achievement to serving others
• from skills development to character development.
This changed perspective has made me more effective at performing my job. My ability to take action and get results has improved dramatically.
Background
When I moved to Northern Virginia in November 2000 to take a new job, my family stayed home in Southern California until the end of the school year. I had lots of time to reflect on my life—to take stock of my successes and failures, and to review my objectives for the future. I came to three conclusions:
1. Despite career successes, I was no happier than when I graduated from college 17 years earlier. Self-sufficiency and achievement, objectives I had pursued for years, weren’t fulfilling for me. The benefits I had expected didn’t materialize.
2. I had important questions that I couldn’t answer. I spent many evenings pondering the purpose of my life and the destiny of my family. I realized that my two sons would be going off to college soon. Due to my frequent business travel and long work hours, I didn’t feel I had given them a solid foundation to live their lives. Worse, I didn’t know what I should be teaching them.
3. I was still searching for the truth, and wanted a life of significance and coherence. I wanted to be able to explicitly articulate beliefs and values that could guide my family in living their lives and dealing with life’s challenges.
I resolved to pursue a work/life balance that would allow me to spend more time with my family, to raise my children in a Christian household, to deepen my relationship with Christ and to live a life consistent with my beliefs.
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