Voice from the Congregation
By Henrieke and Cherry in collaboration with Bernard Yee
About this blog series
No sector or vocation in Hong Kong escapes the redemptive power of the gospel. As such, we want to capture some of the different perspectives as seen from members of our very own congregation who are working or studying in different fields. We will first look at how the gospel can be present in the workplace.
The Gospel and Work
The Importance of Work
When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, You will be happy and it will be well with you.
– Psalm 128:2
God ordains work, which means every legitimate human profession are a potential means of glorifying God. That includes the work of teaching, photocopying, defending a trial, making deliveries, as well as analyzing data. Some people receive more compensation than others. Some professions are regarded more highly than others in our culture. Some are even regarded as more ‘holy’ than others!
The Bible is rich in verses about work. We are told that we should work for a living, so that we are not a burden or have to steal, and have resources to share (Ephesians 4:28). God furthermore commends hard work (Proverbs 14:23; 2 Timothy 2:6).
Work has been here from the very beginning for our good, and is not a punishment; God told Adam to take care of the Garden of Eden before the fall (Genesis 2:15). God Himself too is at work constantly, sustaining creation and being involved in our lives.
When Work Does Not Match up to Our Expectations
Young people are often asked to find their passion, set goals and have their career life mapped out for the next twenty years by the age of 21. When growing up, Bernard cannot recall ever having ‘pursued his passions’. He graduated from high school in a very Asian culture with the classic ‘6 pack’ subjects, then moved onto university majoring in Finance. He could not find a job in Hong Kong in his desired field, and ended up with Hutchinson AT&T as a Financial Analyst because that’s what he could find. Perhaps strange, as he had no passion for tech at all! This is however where his responsibilities grew and eventually he was managing teams.
After becoming a Christian in university, Bernard soon realized that his job was his first witness. “The reality is that when you’re young, you have nothing to offer. Do whatever you land, and do your best. Deliver 110% effort,” he advises, “It is difficult to find passion when you’re too young as you lack experience.” Yet, your attitude can be a great witness to those around you. Furthermore, you have the ability to influence your peers for the gospel more than someone in a high position can.
When we enter the job market, we often want to know upfront what to devote our lives to (and perhaps why personality and career assessments are so popular), yet it is a struggle to do so. But Bernard says that we discover our interests slowly and it might not be what we think. God might not reveal His whole plan upfront. He even closes doors and surprises you with alternatives that you might never have thought of! For example, Bernard and Angeline are currently mentoring fresh graduates through their community group Breaking Bread, but you wouldn’t have guessed that this was actually farthest from what he had in mind initially; he had little interest in young professionals, and had wanted to disciple couples instead. However, through prayer and serving this group when asked, he developed great passion for this demographic.
True Success
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
-Proverbs 16:3
We often think that success looks a certain way, or that we are ‘supposed’ to do a certain type of job. He often hears young people quip that they weren’t meant for their line of work. The fact is, there is no job too menial or lowly. Many strive to make strategic decisions and desire to make a big difference, but we have to remember that in God’s eyes, success can look very different. Bernard’s serving heart opened him up to volunteer roles in ministries such as airport pick up for speakers and delegates, which nobody seems to like to do, and through this, he had the opportunity to connect with all sorts of people which he sees as a true blessing from God.
Bernard draws on advice from a secular author Angela Duckworth, who hypotheses that persistent effort is more important than talent in achieving results. To quote Nietzsche, “Our vanity, our self-love, promotes the cult of the genius.” We tend to elevate talent or correct fit to mask our lack of effort.
Those who are under the yoke as slaves must regard their own masters as deserving of full respect. This will prevent the name of God and Christian teaching from being discredited. But those who have believing masters must not show them less respect because they are brothers. Instead they are to serve all the more, because those who benefit from their service are believers and dearly loved.
– 1 Timothy 6:1-2
It is important to not only want to achieve success for ourselves, especially when we are having a difficult time with our boss. Bernard simply advises in this case that we should do our best to make them successful. We are called to respect our masters, fulfilling our responsibilities under the job and to serve them. We are called to contribute to the wellbeing of others. Furthermore, our perseverance leads us to nurture hope.
Daniel is a great example of this. He worked under Nebuchadnezzar (probably not the best boss in the world), and was able to earn his respect and trust. His wisdom came from God. When he had concerns about eating certain foods, he did not cause a scene to protest, but instead called upon the relationships he had developed with the Eunuch in charge, as well as their stewards, to devise a plan.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
– Colossians 3:23-24
However, we sometimes do not see the fruit of our labour, yet this does not mean that we should quit our jobs. Think of missionaries that have gone to remote places only to see that no one really responded to their message. However, after their death many became Christian. We may sometimes see a glimpse of how our work has benefited others, but even when we do not see it, it does not mean God does not use it for His glory.
Ponte Vecchio Bridge in Florence Italy. Bernard sees himself as a bridge when he connects with those in his workplace that do not know Christ yet.
The Gospel in the Workplace
The workplace provides a wonderful opportunity for us to spread the gospel and make the Lord’s name great. As C.S. Lewis said: “The world does not need more Christian literature. What it needs is more Christians writing good literature.” This is true of every vocation.
We can develop relationships built on trust in the workplace which will help us to communicate the gospel effectively. This should flow naturally from our walk with God. Our witness will come through in whatever ecosystem, network or jurisdiction we are placed, like a spiritual reflex.
Bernard uses the analogy of an ambassador to illustrate this. Ambassadors are bilingual not only in language but also in culture; they are able to highlight commonalities, such as shared idealisms, and provide a connecting bridge to non-believers. We should make it our aim to help our coworkers and bosses come to know Jesus. For many people, the workplace is a mission field because that is where they spend most of their energy and time in.
Bernard is trying to be an ambassador by reading and learning about different industries. He is able to find common ground (from beauty products to IT) and strike up a conversation with anyone, which is great for evangelism. We all have to see which gifts God has given us and how we can continue to develop these gifts for Him.
To conclude, let us look forward to the day when we work in heaven! Those who are faithful with their gifts and talents on earth will be rewarded with more responsibility in the new heaven and new earth.