We had some tension in the office last week. Negotiations on project hit a snag and neither side was blinking. I didn’t respond well. I was tired of the delays and the details were silly, so I fired off an uncharacteristically frustrated email to one of our attorneys.
I led with my emotions instead of my brain and ended up having to apologize to him later. We’re a “Christian organization,” we broadcast that identity, and I didn’t want any of our business associates to get the wrong picture of Jesus because of my momentary emotional tantrum.
We ultimately held our ground and got what we wanted, but the whole process didn’t “feel nice.” Jesus was always nice, wasn’t He – the Fred Rogers of the first century, trading his cloak and sandals for a red cardigan and penny loafers before delivering a sweet moral monologue that left everyone he touched with the warm fuzzies?
So what’s a Christian supposed to do when encountering this type of impasse in the business world?
I really wrestle with this one, especially since I work for a company that doesn’t “belong” to me per se, but that I’m charged with stewarding. What’s it look like to go to the mat for what’s in the best interest of your organization while continuing to reflect Jesus accurately in the process?
Jesus said, “love your neighbor as yourself.”
The Apostle Paul challenged believers to “be kind to one another,” and “tenderhearted” toward others.
So does preserving kindness mean joyfully taking the raw end of the deal in every business negotiation just to assure no one is left with any hard feelings? Perhaps this is elementary for some of you, but my guess is I’m not alone in the tension of wrestling this out.
Here’s what I’m learning:
You can be nice and create tension at the same time.
Jesus was a master at this.
To the woman at the well – “…you are right in saying you have no husband. In fact, you’ve had five husbands and the man you have now is not your husband.” (Well, that’s awkward).
To the Pharisee Nicodemus – “You are Israel’s teacher and you do not understand these things?” (Isn’t that a bit condescending Jesus?).
Or how about his closest friend Peter – “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me!” (No way around it, that’s just hardcore).
Functioning successfully as a believer in the marketplace will require you to create some tension in the lives of other people. You may even make them mad at times. If we confuse this with cruelty it won’t make us more Christlike, just less effective.
Jesus always loved perfectly, yet Jesus was never afraid of making people uncomfortable. Perhaps there’s something for us to learn here.
How have you wrestled with this in your everyday work? Your perspective may help others seeking to reflect Christ well in the marketplace.
