[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I can’t imagine!! Really, Brother Paul!! At 8:30 a.m. I am busy preparing for a board meeting whose key agenda is the proposal I’m finalizing on; a proposal on a ground breaking idea that will change the entire course of the company. Then, I have a Damascus experience… I encounter Brother Paul, the diehard close to fanatic follower of Jesus Christ from the marketing department.

The boss is on my case to deliver within the hour and he needs to go through the document before presenting it to the board later on in the day. I’m running helter skelter in the office printing one document while binding another, and there comes my Damascus experience on my way to the printer… brother Paul, my colleague from the marketing department with a huge black Bible with a blood red rim around it, stops me on my tracks declaring, “repent or go to hell, for what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul.”

Still dazed at the weird expression of good morning, I notice he is printing some documents. He then hands one of the documents to me; it’s written “Jesus is coming back, are you ready?” At this point I’m silently asking myself, “what shall it profit a brother, if he markets the coming of Jesus but gets fired for misusing office equipment and resources while at it? I’m livid but I have a document to print, compile and hand over so I let it slip, but I can’t help to wonder, isn’t there another way of evangelizing at the market place?”[/vc_column_text]

[vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1556271204279{padding-top: 20px !important;}”]The quest to find out the answers to the above question, has led me to a couple of interesting thoughts, but first things first, what’s the basic business of the market place?

What is a Market Place?

The market is a place of trading where we exchange goods and services and position ourselves in the areas of our specialization. In addition, we interact with clients and colleagues sharing in our interests. So what is a believer trading in the area of their specialization? He or she is trading their gift or skill or talent in the nature and love of God.

For example, In the Medical World, your doctor should be able to offer human care with love, give you hope, save your life and lives of the Unborn. This service is also accompanied by excellence of the highest degree.

He should also ensure that no individual or Company is taken advantage of, this includes Insurance Companies.

When your Doctors offer the above with such Joy, compassion and empathy, you as a patient might be tempted to ask him or her “How did you do it?” he then boldly answers “It is Christ who enables me”. “It is Christ who makes me different” he says. In the final analysis of this scenario, you as a patient might desire what the Doctor has, Jesus Christ.

What are the 5 key things that will ensure effective evangelism at the market place?

Excellence

Your work determines whether or not we should listen to whom or what you represent. You cannot be lazy and preach about a God who can help you do all things through his son Jesus who strengthens you.

When you are not excellent in your work, you inadvertently profane the name of the Lord. You will hear comments such as, “Christians are always mediocre in their work or Christians are a bunch of lazy religious fools who think prayer is a short cut to work”

Let your work and work ethics not become reasons for people to speak ill of your God.

Service

Being excellent is good but it only testifies that you are a good worker. Up to this point, nothing differentiates you with an equally excellent non-believer. You see, excellence is basic entry, the bare minimum for which you get paid; it’s nothing out of the ordinary. But I must mention that in a society that believes in short cuts and getting paid for work not done, excellence will surely make you stand out.

Service however distinguishes you; doing that which attracts no salary. When you are always available to help, always available to be sent, always available to step in, always available to go the extra mile, you stand head over shoulder above your equals. When you are the one that always remembers peoples birthdays, baby showers, weddings, funerals and participates in all welfare activities meant to help those in need and so on and so forth you gain a connection with the people that sharing of the same desk and task can never bring.

Excellence gets you their attention, but service gets you their hearts.

Values

This is where you assert that who you are defines the source for what you do. We are talking about what you give highest priority to, what you stand for and what you are willing to die for. This is often manifested in those private moments where if you choose to do the wrong thing, it will most likely go unnoticed. How you take your stand against the majority flow whose position contravenes your values, speaks volumes about who you are.
Values grant you the moral authority to evangelize, or else you’ll hear people say, “ati ameokoka?” Your identity in Christ must be tested and proven.

Respect

Respect for authority, peers and those subordinate to you is paramount. It doesn’t matter how much you know, especially when it comes to spiritual matters, respect everyone.

Respect other people’s opinions, beliefs and perspectives even when you out rightly disagree with them. Nothing can challenge your identity and position in Christ Jesus even when they oppose the truth that you are sharing.

Respect demonstrates the confidence that you have in your identity in Christ. When you know that you know that you know, you deal with arguments not debaters, you express your convictions with the calmness of certainty after all you are the one who has tasted and seen the goodness of the Lord, called him out and he answered, sort him out and found him.

Respect demonstrates how you value others even if they are of dissenting opinion and this makes it easier for you to tell them, God values them and for them to believe it. In all situations, be the one always looking for good in others, uplifting others, celebrating others and giving credit where it’s due.

Socialize

Greetings, sharing a meal, watching football or having a chat about life, whether it’s with a Muslim, an Atheist, a Rastafarian or any other, cannot transfer sin to you. They can only experience Emmanuel “God with us” and in this case God with them, through you.

You will know that your values speak to them when they will change the content of their conversations so that they do not offend you or even choose a different place to eat so that you are comfortable with the environment.

Your assignment must be clear at all times; pull down every argument and every pretension that raises itself against the knowledge of Jesus Christ. You must be as consistent in dealing with them as they raise the arguments but doing so with wisdom from God. However, if their influence on you is greater than your influence on them, save yourself first by doing the needful.

Conclusion

In summary consider the following nuggets:
• Become what you would love to preach.
• Do your work as unto the Lord then the ones close to you will be truly ministered to.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]