As Christians, we work for the Kingdom of God. Everywhere we go and everything we do, we are on duty. Whether we are at our place of employment, at home, at the grocery store, driving, or anywhere else – we report to God. He is our ultimate boss.

This is important to remember in all of our daily activities. Keeping this in the forefront of our minds will help us to make better decisions. It will help our words and actions to reflect the love of Jesus. It will help us to be a shining light in this dark world.

In The Essentials of Prayer, E.M. Bounds put it this way, “Christians are the Bible that sinners read.”

Wow! When we look at it like that, it tells us how important our actions really are. We have the power to influence those around us each and every day. The things we do and the things we say matter.

As St. Francis of Assisi put it, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.”

Those are powerful words. One way or another, people are watching. So what will we tell them with our actions and words? Hopefully we are reflecting the love of Jesus.

One way we can spread the gospel is just by being ourselves. Here are some examples:

• At my job I am often told that I am calm and peaceful. My coworkers seem to want what I have. It is no secret that I am a Christian. So I hope that by them seeing me as calm and peaceful, this will help them to want more of Jesus in their lives.
• One of my coworkers, who is a Christian as well, shared a story with me a while back. He said that he was in a meeting with someone and the other person said a dirty word. Then they said something like, “Oh I’m sorry, I know you don’t talk like that.” My coworker never had to say anything. He was just being himself, but he still was a positive influence.

Another way we can spread the Lord’s love is through what people call “random acts of kindness.” They don’t have to be big and extravagant gestures. Any small deed has the potential to leave a lasting influence.

Here are a few examples that come to mind:

• When we go to the store and my husband sees shopping carts strewn about the parking lot, he will grab a couple of them and put them in a nearby corral or pull them up to the store. This has the opportunity to make a positive impression on other shoppers who see his actions. And it helps the employees that work there as well.
• One of our family members used to live next door to a grumpy neighbor. The family member has now moved to a different home and is no longer neighbors with this person. However, my husband and I send the sulky man a Christmas card every year in order to spread the love of Jesus.
• One of our neighbors knows that a different neighbor has a second home a few hours away. So when he sees that they are away he will put their newspaper in a safe place, so that it’s not obvious to any onlookers that they are out of town.
• I have a coworker who recently placed fortune cookies on her fellow coworkers’ desks with a note attached that said something like, “We are fortunate to have you.” This was something small, but it brought smiles.

These are just a few small examples of how we can leave lasting effects as we work for the Kingdom of God. But the possibilities are endless! Just start with a smile and common courtesy.

Unfortunately we live in a “me” world. Many people are “all about me.” Many people don’t think about others. Many people don’t want to help others because they will be inconvenienced.

But in The Broken Way, Ann Voskamp said, “You love as much as you are willing to be inconvenienced.”

Well that pretty much sums it up right there! Are we willing to be inconvenienced?

The Bible says that we are Christ’s ambassadors. And Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. All three of these statements show us how much power we have in this world. Once we recognize our true power in Jesus, we have the ability to make an immense impact.

(Photo by Esteban Lussich.)