QUIETLY CHRISTIAN?

(Guest Post by: Trent Claybaker) Blogmas Day Twelve

Nearly six months ago, I was contacted by a recruiter for a large, corporate functioning position within a world-wide crane manufacturer. There is no coincidence, that even though I was not actively looking for a career change, I had questions about my security beyond my working days. Over the years, mostly because of poor choices, I have learned that I need God to speak directly to me about what He would have me do.

Over the course of the next month or so, God and I wrestled back and forth about whether or not I was to change jobs. The conflict was so great because a co-worker and I had started a Monday morning prayer group that eventually led to most of the employees attending. For some of them, this would be the only Jesus that they would get for the remainder of the week. So, it was important to me that I knew for sure that God wanted me to move on.

John 14:13-14 says, “whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

The thought of a secure future certainly sounded good to me, but I wanted to make sure that it was from Him and not just me. Throughout the next month, the Lord indeed put little dots right where they were needed to show me that the direction for the next chapter in my career was the way that He was going to have me go.

If I’m honest, I was proud of the little Monday morning group we had started. No credit to me, but there was stuff going on there that ONLY the Lord could have made happen. Proverbs 3:5 tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Even though I didn’t know what that was going to look like moving into my new position, I was sure that I was to move on.

Thankfully, it wouldn’t take long for the Lord to show me the hearts of several of my new co-workers. However, I noticed something almost immediately. When the topic of Jesus Christ was brought into the conversations, the decibel level immediately went down. The enthusiasm of the opportunity to speak of Jesus did not dissipate, but the level of which we were doing it sure did! At first, I wasn’t too shocked because as I mentioned, I am now in the “corporate” world and sadly this is just something that happens, I guess.

Recently I attended a meeting between my department and another that we are to be working closely with to get a couple of things under control. After the meeting, I received a group email thanking all of us in attendance for coming and how exciting it was going to be to work with a results-oriented group. I then received another email from the department head letting me know that she too was a believer. Obviously this was great to hear but… I was the only one that the email was sent to.

Some 514 words later, what’s your point, Trent? Hebrews 13:15-16, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that openly profess His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. When the peace of Christ rules in our hearts, thankfulness overflows.”

Even though we should be making noise all the time for our Lord and savior; His birth is our opportunity to SHOUT IT LOUD! I’m not saying to get into trouble at work, but what I am saying/asking is, that if you believe and have been blessed by the multitude of things that you have seen or heard of, tell someone!

Baby Jesus didn’t come into this world so that you should whisper of His greatness. He came so that you could SHOUT!