Carter Comics

Work is hard enough, but what often makes work so arduous is the lack of healthy relationships in the office. Moreover, the growth of virtual relationships often leaves people without many true friendships. Add to that the fact that most people today spend about 10 hours a day at work, which means that they might interact with fellow professionals in the office more than friends and family at home. So why not make an effort to make these workplace relationships more personal and more fulfilling?

If you look at the Scriptures, you will find many principles and tangible examples for making life more personal and relational. Here’s a list of 10 ideas. Feel free to add more in the comments section!

1. Encourage someone. “Encourage one another and build each other up.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) A friend of mine who is the CEO of a large company in São Paulo keeps a stack of high quality greeting cards in his desk. When he sees one of his employees doing good work, he pulls out a card and writes a note of encouragement to the person. He doesn’t just send an email; he writes the card in his own hand and delivers them personally. On a few occasions, the employee who received the card came to thank my friend with tears of gratitude in their eyes.
2. Put others first. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (1 John 3:16) Years ago I knew of two friends who vied for the same newspaper job. One had a pregnant wife and desperately needed the job. The other man called up the newspaper’s managing editor and suggested that the newspaper award the job to his friend. The newspaper gave the job to the soon-to-be father and the other guy sat on the bench with no other leads. Three months later, the newspaper called him and said that they wanted to hire him for a new position. The two friends worked together as reporters for the next several years.

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