Walking with Christ at Work—Gary Lee, Engineer in the Mechanical, Materials, and Integrity Department

11 October 2014 by Adeline Lum CM-

 

“I am just thankful that God has provided me a good job and good opportunities. I never really need to make those decisions that are grey. A lot of what I do is black and white, partly because I am an engineer,” said Gary, an engineer in the Mechanical, Materials, and Integrity Department at Shell Projects and Technology in Kuala Lumpur.

For his work, he conducts Fitness for Service calculations to make sure the equipment in the oil and gas industry is running safely within the optimum capacity. Most of the people he works with also demonstrate integrity and honesty in providing the information he needs.

“I must say also it’s not perfect. It’s an environment where people are also selfish and people may take advantage of you if you are not careful. But what I have also found, you see the workplace for many people, that’s their life. In that sense, that’s all they define themselves in,” said Gary who found compassion in difficult people.

Ultimately, in making decisions at work, Gary would ask himself two questions: “Am I growing as a Christian in this workplace?” and “Do I see this promotion as an opportunity to serve and grow or is this taking my time away from God?”

 

 

For example, there was a time when Gary felt that he should be promoted; having done the work of a senior position that was vacant. Although many felt that the promotion was justifiable, he kept his matter to himself for a year.

“I saw a lot of my contemporaries being promoted and I am quite jealous about it. So, I read the Bible. And I realized the difference between selfless and selfish ambition is that you crave for that ambition so much that you will do anything to get that promotion. So, you start to descent into this level of lying, not being godly in achieving your goal. 

 

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. (James 3:16-17)

 

“But selfless ambition is where you feel like you want to use whatever opportunities that God gives you, whether promoted or not, to serve. So, the measure is whether when I am promoted; am I growing as a Christian? I keep telling myself, ‘It’s okay to not be promoted as long as I have love for God and my faith,’” said Gary.

Within that year, Gary was offered a double-promotion job in Russia but he turned down that offer! Firstly, he did not feel prepared to take that position. Secondly, he felt that he could not grow as a Christian in Russia due to the lack of churches there. And thirdly, he wanted to avoid the increased exposure to the rampant prostitution there especially when he was not in a relationship.

 

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. (1 Cor 6:18)

 

 

But shortly after he turned down the offer, Gary’s manager approached and offered him to write him a recommendation letter for promotion. Gary got it! Praise God! He is thankful because he realized getting promoted in the same position of the same company is harder. This is because promotion usually occurs during job transitions.

“I learned that a promotion is God’s gift. But secondly, I was struggling with it for so long, when I got it, it didn’t feel special. In fact, when I got it, I was thinking how about the next promotion?

“So, it’s our sinful nature, I really want that car. But when you get that car, you want a bigger and better car. I realize that actually no matter how much promotion you have, it’s never going to satisfy you,” said Gary who learned about contentment.

 

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. (Phil 4:11)

 

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

(Hebrews 13:5)

 

Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.

(Ecclesiastes 5:10)

 

But godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6)

 

Through that one-year period of waiting, God has also taught him the great value in waiting on His gift at the right time. Around the time Gary had his promotion, the Lord brought his fiancé Jillian into his life!

“I might be struggling with this and that. But when I don’t struggle with this, God gives me what I was struggling before. So, if He has given that the thing that I wanted during my struggle, I would be quite prideful. So, it is in his grace and mercy to prevent me from being unfaithful,” said Gary.

 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)

 

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

 

 

In serving God at work, Gary also asks himself, “How do I best serve God with the gifts that I have?” or “How would God want me to be a blessing for people in the workplace?”

For example, he noticed that the women in his male-dominating field may feel coerce to behave like a man to command authority. However, Gary believes that all women can retain their God-given feminineness in work. Hence, to empower his female colleagues, Gary would listen attentively and find opportunities to verbally affirm them.

“I think men and women alike feel empowered when they get comfortable with you, when they can be honest and vulnerable… You allow them to be assertive in a way that is natural to them. So, I guess at the end of the day, it is to be someone you are in the workplace,” said Gary.

Another way he served God in the workplace is serving through the company’s CSR or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Having started the CIS or Christians in Shell six years ago with an average of 20 people from different denominations meeting weekly, Gary has rallied their efforts to help the communities through CSR and publish their work in the company newsletters. One experience he find particularly invigorating is witnessing how the action of faith begin at his workplace.

 

 

“We can think about how a particular decision ought to be acted on as a Christian in CIS. So, we can be more of an application base. This is one of the places I find that I am able to grow, knowing that people are struggling in some form in their faith.

“And also, it’s been an encouragement because you see so many gifted people using their gifts and talents. And all are so different, yet knowing that it’s not a one-size-fits-all. It’s so diverse to the point that you can enjoy serving together,” said Gary.

Having travelled more this year compared to last year, he is also excited to see the revival happening among the CIS members. One colleague in particular stepped up to coordinate the group with her excellent hospitality gift, with several other colleagues taking turns to lead in Word. Just the past two months as well, the group has also started the ALPHA Workplace!

 

 

“You know the thing is that we spend 60 to 70 percent of our time in our work, so do our colleagues as well. So, sometimes, when you’re a Christian and they are not, it means that they witness what a Christian should be day in and day out of their lives.

“So, you are their testimony; you are the person they reference what a Christian should be like. So, there’s so much potential; there are so many opportunities. Take hold of these opportunities,” said Gary quoting his favourite bible verses, Matthew 5:13 – 16.

 

“¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” “You know the thing is that we spend 60 to 70 percent of our time in our work, so do our colleagues as well.

(Matthew 5:13-14)

 

Every one of us has the ability to influence the people in our workplace, with the unique position, expertise, experiences, and skill sets we have. We are after all, the salt and light of the world!

Perhaps, in making decisions in our work, we can ask ourselves four questions like Gary:

“Am I growing as a Christian in this workplace?”

“Do I see this promotion as an opportunity to serve and grow or is this taking my time away from God?”

“How would God want me to be a blessing for the people at my workplace?”

“How do I best serve God with gifts I have at work?”

 

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