The Christian Working Woman

It’s not unusual for an attraction to develop between a man and a woman who work together. Spending hours side by side can naturally create a connection. I want to examine some of the pitfalls that can show up in those situations. Most of us have seen relationships develop between coworkers—or maybe experienced that spark ourselves. What should a Christian woman do if she begins to feel attracted...

I want to examine a situation you may face, and that is managing or working with men who resent having a female manager or coworker. They may feel threatened by having a woman manager or peer, or their background could have prejudiced them against women in business. I was one of the first women in IBM sales; this goes back many years. There was an older salesman in my office who was totally agains...

I’m examining the various complications Christian working women can face in dealing with men on their jobs. With more women now holding management positions, it is no longer uncommon to find women managers with men reporting to them. These female management positions can be difficult at times. In trying to “get it right,” I’ve known women in management who overreacted by trying to be too ass...

I’m examining a subject that is of interest to most women—men. In particular, the men in our working worlds. I think I speak for most women when I say life without men would be pretty dull. We’re more than glad to have them around, but when we enter the working world, we face some new challenges in our relationships with men. Frequently we’re engaged with men as peers, as managers, as...

It’s true that because of our natural tendency to be attracted to the opposite sex and because of the amount of time spent with coworkers on a daily basis, an attraction may very well occur on our jobs. Most of us have seen this happen or have experienced it ourselves. What does a Christian do when she or he feels an attraction to a coworker or senses a coworker is attracted to her or him? The ver...

The Joy Gap exists between what you expect, what you need or want, and what you’re feeling. We’ve seen this gap can be caused by expecting too much of circumstances, successes and people, comparing yourself to others, and simply neglecting to do the things that close the Joy Gap, like increasing time with Jesus, who never disappoints. But what about those times when the gap doesn’t seem to close?...

How can you close the Joy Gap? The Joy Gap is the distance between what you expect from life or from your job or your relationships, and what you are experiencing. It’s the reality that even when things are good, when circumstances are favorable—even then they don’t bring the joy and satisfaction you expected. There’s a Joy Gap. But we’re not hopeless, we who are Christ-followers. We have the answ...

The Joy Gap is that space between the joy we expect and what we actually feel. This term—Joy Gap—is becoming a noticeable phenomenon in our culture—not just in Christian circles. The world needs joy—the people you know at work, in your family, next door, they all want joy and most likely many are experiencing this Joy Gap, even if they don’t recognize it. But the wonderful good news is that as fol...

We are examining the Joy Gap—the difference between the joy we expect and the joy we actually experience. This Joy Gap has taken an identity of its own; people are noticing it and naming it and studying it. What is this Joy Gap and why does it happen? You might be in a Joy Gap if you find yourself thinking: “I thought I’d feel happier when I got here,” or “Why am I still restless?” or “I have so m...

Have you ever reached something you really wanted—an achievement, a milestone, even a season of life—and then thought, “I expected to feel happier than this”? I want to examine what I call the Joy Gap. Actually, Joy Gap is a term used today to define the space between what you think will bring you joy and what actually does. For example, you may be experiencing a Joy Gap at work. That would be the...

The book of Genesis explains to us that it was God’s plan to create two sexes, male and female, both created equally in his image, both finding the other attractive, both needing each other, and different in many ways from each other. It was a good plan, and it is still good today, one that has brought a great deal of joy, happiness, and fulfillment into our lives, for both women and men. Tr...

I’ve been looking at the book of Daniel and focusing on how he and his friends lived and worked in a foreign and often hostile environment—maybe similar to your workplace. Daniel and his friends were taken captive when they were young, probably late teens or early twenties. They were chosen to be part of the king of Babylon’s workforce because they were deemed to be the best of the best. In each s...

Do you work with people who seem jealous of your success? How do you live as a Christ-follower in that environment without becoming defensive on one hand or a doormat on the other? Daniel, once again, gives us a powerful example. By this point, Daniel has likely been in Babylon for around 60 years, and he’s serving under a new leader King Darius. His work ethic, integrity, and excellence set him a...

Do you find it difficult to be honest when you have to deliver bad news? It can feel risky especially when the outcome might affect your job or your relationships. The Prophet Daniel’s life gives us a picture of what it means to be an authentic follower of Christ in tough moments. In Daniel chapter 5, Daniel serves under a different leader, yet he continues faithfully in his role. By this point, h...

Do you work in a hostile or competitive environment where your coworkers are contentious and will do anything to get ahead? That’s a difficult place to be day in and day out, but with God’s help, and lessons we learn from his Word, you can be a light in that place. For example, look at Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. We read in the Bible about how they were targeted for their faith. Nebuchadnezzar...

Is your workplace a difficult environment? Are you being asked to participate in things that don’t align with your biblical convictions? Many of us find ourselves in situations like that. Maybe it’s a new HR requirement or a training course you’re expected to attend. How do you authentically respond in a way that is both respectful to your employer and doesn’t go against your faith? The Old Testam...

When you look in Scripture, you can find some very stunning examples of people who had pockets of fear—and I’m talking about some great saints of old. For example, Abraham had a pocket of fear about being killed. Here is a man described in Hebrews 11 as a man of great faith. God called him from a prosperous and comfortable life and said, Go to a land I will show you , and Abraham simply obeyed. He...

Extravagance is generally considered an undesirable trait. It’s defined as excessive, wasteful, exorbitant. Yet, when I look at God, I see extravagance as one of his attributes. I ask you to consider with me how excessive God is in his dealings with you. Think about his mercy, which keeps you from having to pay the due penalty for your sins. The Bible tells us his mercies are new every day,...

I want to talk about Ichabod. How would you like to be named Ichabod? It’s not a lovely name, is it, but what it means is even worse. Ichabod means “The glory is departed.” In 1 Samuel 4 we read Phinehas’ wife named their son Ichabod, because the glory of God had departed from Israel. As I thought about that, I wondered if my name is ever Ichabod. In our vernacular today, w...

Stop and think: Where in Scripture do you find the term self-esteem? How about self-love? I’ll save you some trouble; you won’t find those terms in Scripture. They, along with self-actualization and a few others, are buzzwords of our contemporary society. Of course, there are many words and phrases we use today which are not used in Scripture, and vice-versa, so the issue is the meanin...

It has almost become a cliche to hear people say they’re seeking to know “who they are.” This lack of identity and purpose is real when we do not have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. If you don’t know God has created you, you are important to him, and your life has significance in his sight, then it’s easy to see why you would be searching for a...

It is very common to hear people say they’re trying to “find themselves,” to discover their identity. As I’ve attempted to understand exactly what that means, it seems to be a result of the self-focus, which is indicative of today’s humanistic, post-modern society. And it also seems to be a way of expressing our innermost need to know our individual lives do have some...

Galatians tells us exactly what the fruit of the Spirit is. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23). To answer the question of what it means to “be the fruit,” I want to look at each of them and offer some suggestions of how you implement this fruit in your l...

I’m examining, “Can this job be saved?” Here’s the last situation to consider. Your manager doesn’t know the job, the company, the product, or the customers as well as you do. He is a young man recently promoted to the position, but with little experience or skills to do the job right. He makes a great many mistakes in dealing with customers, violates some company policies (through ignorance...

Can this job be saved? For example, take this situation. You are the human resources director for a company that does a lot of business with the government. As a result, you have to complete government forms and abide by government rules in order to secure and keep your contract. Currently, you are required to complete a form which asks if you’re in compliance with some of their rules—and in fact,...