Certainly, if your job were demanding that you have an abortion, they would be asking you to mistreat and end the life of an unborn child. Conversely, the opportunity for another employee to have an abortion is not a request for you as an individual to sin against or mistreat another person.
So many of the unethical or immoral conundrums we find ourselves in at work are often not asking us to directly sin against God or another person. What is really at play is the question of whether working in a company that supports and funds views counter to our own means we are in some way honoring or accepting that view.
Follow Your Convictions
In 1 Corinthians, Paul discusses a troubling topic to the Christians in Corinth. Some people were purchasing and eating food that was previously sacrificed to idols. The meat was cheaper, because in some ways it had already been used, but was still viable for cooking and eating.
To some Christians, it was an issue of conscience. They just couldn’t imagine being a follower of Jesus and willingly purchasing and eating meat that was sacrificed to an idol. It seemed to go against everything they believed.
To other Christians, it was no issue, because they knew the idols had no power. They weren’t personally sacrificing or worshiping those idols. They were just buying meat on the cheap.
Paul’s advice in this situation was to recognize that the food they eat will not draw them any closer or further away from God and encourage the Corinthians to make a personal decision based on their convictions. He was also adamant in telling them not to judge one another based on their personal decisions.
Paul’s advice can be applied to the moral and ethical dilemmas you find at work. If the policy in question is not causing you to sin against God or others, then you can apply the wisdom of following your convictions. If your company has a strong pro-choice approach, and this is a large part of their identity, then you might be inclined to look for another job. You have the ability to pray and discern what decision will align with your faith.
The reality is that just about every non-Christian company will have policies or procedures that don’t align with your Christian ethics, because they are not centered on Christ. As someone who is centered on Christ, you ought to be thinking about how working for and serving that company is affecting your faith and your witness to others. For many topics, it’s far more of a case by case basis rather than a universal determination that every Christian should abide by.
Living in a world that does not hold the same ethics and morals as Christians is challenging. As mature believers seeking to honor Christ in everything, we do we have to think about the aspect of our work place and make decisions according to our convictions. Honoring and remaining obedient to Christ should always be our greatest priority.
This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.
