Jan 7, 2013
As we begin a new year, have you considered how to bring your Catholic faith with you to work? Putting God first and blending your faith with every aspect of your life will promote balance and peace, and help you forge a deeper relationship with God. Of course, this is a challenge that takes time and effort.
Pursuing integration will help us become better Christians and reduce the negative effects — mental, emotional, moral — of keeping our faith separate from the rest of our lives. The challenge is to adopt new practices and strategies, not as a bunch of new “to-dos,” but as part of a broader, unifying approach to balance and integration.
We should ask ourselves, “What are some of the real and perceived obstacles we may face to living out our faith at work? What are tangible solutions for overcoming them?” There are never any simple answers and there are times when it will be more of a public struggle to overcome than an inward one. In my conversations with people over the years, the problems they raise fall into five basic categories:
1) “I am afraid of losing my job if I am open about my faith at work.”
2) “Authenticity, integrity, empathy, love, and other characteristics of Christianity are not valued in my company. In fact, they are discouraged.”
3) “I just don’t have the moral courage to be open about my faith.”
4) “I love Christ and his Church, but I don’t always know the appropriate thing to say about my faith.”
5) “I am not comfortable sharing anything personal, especially about my faith.”