While working in downtown Seattle, I’ve made a few observations:

People feel alone. I always thought it was funny when you ride an elevator full of people and no one talks. That uncomfortable feeling is also what it can feel like working in downtown Seattle all day for some people. Few people know little if anything of their co-workers. We are a city of millions of people working in close proximity, yet many feel alone at work.

People are selfish. When times get tough, a natural reaction can often be to selfishly focus inward out of fear. There are definitely times to refocus, work harder and revisit your strategy. But I’m talking about general anxiety and worry that results in thinking about survival at the expense of others.

People worship their job. Many people look to their work to provide identity and value in their lives. Answering “what do you do?” for some people is the same as “who am I?”. This false god can cause people to bounce between pride and depression depending on their job situation. A job search can be tough for anyone. But a reason it’s especially tough for some people is that in his/her life, the “flag of work” has flown higher than the “flag of Jesus” which leads to problems.

As Christians, how can we respond differently?

Be welcoming. Create enough margin in your day to let yourself respond to opportunities. This could look like a co-worker sharing they had a tough weekend, a client anxious about what the future holds, or that random guy talking about a news item while waiting in line for a Specialty’s sandwich. You may be the only Christian they know or talked with that day. Smile. Ask real questions about someone’s life and pray for opportunities during your day as a missionary at work. Remember the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor – yes, that person working next to you. Read Matthew 22: 37-40

Be generous. If you only did things that benefited you, that wouldn’t be much different than others would it? Look for opportunities to be generous with money or your time. It can be small things like buying a co-worker a lunch who’s going through a tough time. It could be saying “thank you” to the receptionist and dropping off a $10 Starbucks card. It may seem small, but it is evidence of fruit of your transformed heart and a generous God. Read Matthew 7:16-20

Be at peace. Pray for wisdom and peace on dealing with situations at work during the day. Trust that God is in charge and all things happen for a reason. When you respond differently in a crisis – your peace and perspective will be attractive and shows the love of Christ. Satan wants us to focus on being anxious and worrying about tomorrow. God wants us to focus on heaven and the opportunities in front of us today. Read James 1: 5-6

Written by Paul Freed

Mars Hill Church Downtown lives for Jesus as a city within the city of Seattle: knowing culture, loving people, and seeing lives transformed to live for Jesus. For more information, visit us HERE. For information on community groups and other ministries go HERE. For general questions, you may email us at downtown@marshillchurch.org.