4 types of Christians
“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:18)
In his book Anointed for Business, Ed Silvoso takes a thoughtful look at four types of Christians in the workplace. The following four categories provide an excellent tool for self-assessment:
1. The Christian who is just trying to survive.
2. The Christian who is living according to Christian principles.
3. The Christian who is living by the power of the Holy Spirit.
4. The Christian who is changing his workplaces
Christ.*
Category #1: Christians who are just trying to survive, have no purpose or motivation to integrate their faith at work. They have not seen the power or presence of God in their working lives. Such Christians separate their faith life from their work life. They lack purpose and meaning and have little direction.
Category #2: The second type of Christians in the workplace includes those who are living according to Christian principles. We attend 12-step programs and read books with formulas guaranteed to help us lose weight or improve our marriages. This programmed learning can be beneficial for changing negative patterns in our lives. However, it is important to recognize that the roots of this type of education largely come from a Greek-based system for acquiring knowledge, rather than the Early Church Hebraic model of experiential learning.
Category #3: Christians who are living by the power of the Holy Spirit understand the importance of developing a heart for God through prayer, study of God’s Word, and obedience. They realize that these are the three main ingredients to experiencing the power of God in their lives.
Category #4: A wonderful byproduct of living by the power of the Holy Spirit is that you can transform your workplace for God. Christians who zealously seek the manifestation of the Kingdom of God on earth will be able to feel this change in their workplaces. When the Kingdom of God is manifested on earth, it can transform the workplace and society.
Start asking God for help today to learn how to transform your workplace.
*Ed Silvoso, Appointed for Business (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2002), page 123.
