Sealands Field: What does an international hotel management company, a leading global growth equity firm, and a company that designs, manufactures, and sells semiconductor assembly equipment all have in common?
A panel of business men and women from these and other international companies participated in a recent Christian Business Forum in a city in Asia. The leadership event was organized by Nazarene team members and local Christian business leaders who are passionate about living out their faith in a fast paced and highly competitive business environment. The young people who attended, most of whom are recent university graduates, had the opportunity to ask very practical questions about faith issues in the workplace.
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A key question raised was, “What is the best way to be a witness for Christ in my job?” The response? We bring glory to God when we do our work with diligence and excellence, keeping in mind that our ultimate boss is God. He is the One to whom we must answer.
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In their book Every Good Endeavor, Tim Keller and Katherine Leary Alsdorf posed the question this way: “What’s the Christian way to be a pilot?” Their answer? “Land the plane!”
Participants expressed that young people in Asia have a great fear of failure and this creates tremendous pressure. In this environment, how does one deal with personal failure in the workplace? Several of the leaders shared from personal experience of how God used their failures to bring them to the point where they were completely and totally dependent on Him.
The panelists encouraged the participants to not fear failure. Failure in the workplace is common. But we should be “failing forward,” learning from our mistakes and becoming more dependent on God.
Another question that created much discussion was, “How does one hold to Biblical standards when it seems that compromise is the only way to succeed?” Real life examples were given by the panelists of how, when they held true to God’s Word, He was glorified and their work prospered.
The leadership event was a unique opportunity for young people just starting their careers to interact with respected Christian business men and women One participant commented: “I realize now that we each have unique opportunities to serve God. My work puts me in contact with people who might not otherwise come to know what it means to be a follower of Christ.”
— Submitted Team Member / Participant.
