Workplace Witnessing (Part X)

The Effects of Daniel's Workplace Witnessing

Nebuchadnezzar praising God. Daniel 3:28-30, 4:34-37
Darius praising God. Daniel 6:19-20, 26-27
Daniel's services were retained by the new Persian ruler, Cyrus the Great, and he probably played a part in persuading Cyrus to allow the Jews to return from exile to their native land of Judah.

Workplace Witnessing (Part IX)

Acknowledge the Source of Strength 宣告智慧的源头

"The king asked Daniel, “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?”
Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come.“
Daniel 2:26-30



Build Relationships and Conversations. Many people distance themselves from friendships at work. I think Christians should not do that. We should strive to do that. How can we lead someone to Christ when we are not even willing that we be friends with them?

Have conversations during breaks (morning coffee, colleagues, lunch). During such conversations, how do you start to witness? How do I start a discussion? e.g. someone asks you how is your weekend? Oh, i go to church. Have you ever been...In church we learn...

无私的关怀 Care beyond work. This is where sets us apart from non believing workers. Having built a relationship, we can get more in depth conversations and start to see the needs and problems of our colleagues which only God can resolve. We can pray for their need. We can tell them what the bible says of their problems.

Many in the workplace have never known the love of Christ. You might be the only one they ever meet who can introduce them to this love.

Jesus modeled love and service in the marketplace. His ministry was also in the workplace. Of 52 parables Jesus told, 45 had a workplace context. Of 40 divine interventions recorded in Acts, 39 were in the marketplace. He modeled servant leadership and taught his disciples that serving others was the central focus of his life and should be the central focus of their lives as well.

People do not care what you know; they want to know that you care. When you genuinely take an interest in another person in the workplace, you will become a credible person in their eyes. You will stand out among the crowd. Recently I took a phone call from a CEO of a company. The man shared how he was impacted by the TGIF devotionals a family member began sending him. I recognized the man was not a Christian. We began to talk, even though I was pressed for time as I was leaving town that afternoon. The man ultimately prayed to receive Christ over the phone. Later, the man commented on how impressed he was that I took time with him on the phone when I was pressed to get out of town. As a busy executive, this man equated time with love and service to him. That is what the world is looking for.

Workplace Witnessing (Part VIII)

Prayer for self and others

"He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of Heaven concerning this mystery... " Daniel 2:18

在见证主当中，我们要指向人到这一位听祷告的主。他们带着人生的忧虑，重担，罪孽。我们需要进一步的和他们谈话，关怀他们。多了解他们，以致才可以介绍听祷告的主给他们。

我们也要记得我们有了尊君祭司的名份，需要在他们当中代表神，与他们分享主的身份，主的话，并且，为他们祷告。

所以，我们可以和我们的同事一起的祷告。让他们经理到他们可以向这一位神祷告。也鼓励他们给进一步的认识这位神。

分享带领学生与她母亲的见证。他们这么样认识主，就是从一起祷告开始。

Workplace Witnessing (Part VII)

Show Concern for Co-Workers

"The Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends ..." Daniel 2:17

Care beyond work. This is where sets us apart from non believing workers. Having built a relationship, we can get more in depth conversations and start to see the needs and problems of our colleagues which only God can resolve. We can pray for their need. We can tell them what the bible says of their problems.

Many in the workplace have never known the love of Christ. You might be the only one they ever meet who can introduce them to this love. 

Jesus modeled love and service in the marketplace. His ministry was also in the workplace. Of 52 parables Jesus told, 45 had a workplace context. Of 40 divine interventions recorded in Acts, 39 were in the marketplace. He modeled servant leadership and taught his disciples that serving others was the central focus of his life and should be the central focus of their lives as well.

People do not care what you know; they want to know that you care. When you genuinely take an interest in another person in the workplace, you will become a credible person in their eyes. You will stand out among the crowd. Recently I took a phone call from a CEO of a company. The man shared how he was impacted by the TGIF devotionals a family member began sending him. I recognized the man was not a Christian. We began to talk, even though I was pressed for time as I was leaving town that afternoon. The man ultimately prayed to receive Christ over the phone. Later, the man commented on how impressed he was that I took time with him on the phone when I was pressed to get out of town. As a busy executive, this man equated time with love and service to him. That is what the world is looking for.

Workplace Witnessing (Part VI)

Work Excellence - Willingness to Face Problems 

"When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. He asked the king's office, 'Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?' Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. At this Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him." Daniel 2:14-17

Workplace witnessing involves not running away but facing problems when they arise. When all the wise men were ordered to be executed what was the response for Daniel? He didn't avoid it, he didn't run away from it. He wanted to resolve the problem as long as it is in his means.

He enquired, identified about the problem first by asking Arioch, the commander of the King's guard. Note that he did it with wisdom and tact. He faced the problem head on. Once having identified the problem, he went in to the king!

Though he does not yet know how to resolve, he was willing to face it. To shoulder it. Do we do likewise? We often avoid it when we should face it. We often procrastinate and put it off till it hurts. May we learn from Daniel his willingness to face problems. And we can learn from his wisdom that often when we don't know how to resolve a problem, ASK FOR TIME!

Workplace Witnessing (Part V)

Work Excellence 卓越精神

"In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in the whole kingdom." Daniel 1:20

"Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.” Dan 6:3

在工作，品格上卓越

Workplace witnessing involves excelling in your work and character. Excel in your product or service. Be helpful. Help solve problems. Be a team player （具有团体精神）.

But note that it is not enough to Excel, for even the pagans do that (eg. Japanese) and we might be doing it for ourselves (eg promotion, pay raise). While excelling in our work, we MUST make known our identity that we are Christians (straight telling them, bible on your desk, refrain from pagan practices like 4D, drinking, entertainment). 回到第一点。

And then, we can tell them the reason why we excel is because our God demands excellence, hardwork. He Himself is a God of excellence. Look at His creation!

Character Excellence 品格上卓越

"...tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent." Daniel 6:4

Be trustworthy, not corrupt, not negligent.  It naturally attracts people to you and wonder why you are doing what you are doing. And this is where you can point them to a perfectly righteous, trustworthy God.

Don’t Cut Corners! 不要偷工减料

The reason why we display integrity is because our God is a righteous God of integrity. We love, we help because our God is a loving God who commands us to love our neighbours as ourselves. We should not cut corners. Don’t lie. Don’t take a bribe. Be righteous in your dealings.


I believe Satan’s number one strategy is to defeat Christians in the workplace, make them ineffective in their workplace witness. This is why many cite they would rather not do business with a Christian. 

I believe this trend will change as we become better equipped to see our work as a ministry and calling. We have so segmented our work lives from our faith lives that we have allowed the culture to encourage us that ethics and integrity are not important when compared to the bottom line. That is why we got into the problem with the Enron’s and Worldcom’s of the world. Remember, integrity is defined by what you do when no one is looking.

Workplace Witnessing (Part IV)

Not Compromising Yet Providing Alternative Solutions 

不妥协，却找出和解的办法

"Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." Daniel 1:12-13

The wise Christian worker not only stands resolute in his christian values. Although he knows that he should not compromise his christian values and do anything that might bring God's name to shame, he does not just reject and risks others calling him stubborn, inflexible or cause the work to come to a halt.

We should be wise to provide alternative solutions to co-workers/superiors that still will get the job done yet not compromising our faith. When Daniel was asked to eat the royal food and wine, he refused. However, he provided an alternative solution that he was to be fed vegetables and water to drink and after ten days, compare his appearance with the others.

找出和解的办法需要付代价

Now, coming up with an alternative solution involves wisdom and a price to pay. We have to pray for wisdom to think of these alternatives. We have to also be prepared to pay a heavier price like in the case of Daniel where he had to eat vegetables instead of meat and drink water instead of wine.

When I was in the army, the senior warrant officers would often urge the younger specialists to go with them to KTV lounges during the nights where they would indulge in drinking and women. Often, they lie to their spouses that they are having night training and have a valid excuse to come back late at night. When i was asked to go with them, it was a simple decision for me to make. No. i made a vow to be faithful to my wife and more so to God, to obey His word. So do you think they saw lesser of me just because i didn't go with them?

I worked harder during training, helped them when they needed it, chatted with them on the daily concerns of living, and i believe that i forged a closer and truer bond then those who had gone to the lounges with them. Though these involve paying a price, you have to spend time, effort, but its worth it.

当和解不了。。。你尊容神，神必尊容你

Once in the polytechnic, i was offered a chance to go to MIT on a exchange course for five weeks. I was supposed to learn some best practices there and bring it back to be implemented. However, during that time, my baby was just two months old. Both mother and child needed my support greatly. I wanted to go, get the exposure, but I had to fulfill duty to my wife and child. I tried to think of alternatives. Its not easy sometimes. I wanted to bring them along but it was winter then and it would be too cold. I thus knew that bringing them wasn't the solution.

I tried negotiating for a shorter duration and do more video conferencing to make up for it but management refused. It was to be five weeks. Sometimes, you cannot compromise and others also will not accept your alternative suggestions. It is in these instances that you just have to stick with your resolve and forego some things. Till this day, i don't regret my decision not to go. In the end, there were several many other projects/chances for me to show my contributions and also balance fulfilling duty to my family.

"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. ” Daniel 3:16-18

记得Eric Liddel 的例子吗？

Workplace Witnessing (Part III)

Don't Compromise Your Christian Values

"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way." Daniel 1:8

In Daniel 1, we know that Nebuchadnezzar had successfully invaded Jerusalem. He then selected qualified man from amongst the Jews, brought them to serve in his palace. Among them were Daniel and three of his good friends.

He resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine that he was offered in the palace because he knew that there was the possibility that they had been prior offered to idols or that there were unclean components in the food. Though immersed in the Babylonian culture, he resolved to maintain his Jewish culture because in his heart, that was God honoring. In his workplace, he resolved not to compromise his God honoring values.

Similarly, in our workplace, the first step to workplace witnessing is to establish our identity as Christians amongst everyone. Establishing our identity is not just wearing a cross, placing a bible on our desks, or tell people that we go to church on sundays. That is important. But truly establishing our identity is resolving to our Christian values when the call for compromise arises.

When you are asked to bring a client to entertainment spots which involves sexual immorality or drunkenness, what values do you hold on to? If you often have to miss sunday service because of work, what alternative arrangements do you do? When colleagues are engaging in gossip, do you add fuel to the fire or do you act as the peacemaker? When there are unrighteous dealings in your company, how do you react to it?

Workplace Witnessing (Part II)

Why don’t we witness at the workplace?

We know we are supposed to witness for Christ 24 by 7. But we just do not do so. Here are some reasons why we don’t do it.

- We have a bad testimony in the workplace
- We are not burdened with the call to witness for Christ.
- We are afraid that we will be viewed as weird.
- We are too busy with our work that we overlook it.
- We cannot find chances to do so.
- We are afraid that it might affect our working relationship with colleagues/managers/subordinates.


So exactly how do we draw strength to witness at the workplace and be a victorious Christian? We will learn lessons from a favorite character of mine in the bible. His name is Daniel.

Workplace Witnessing (Part I)

Why do we have to witness at our workplaces? 

At the end of all the four gospels, it is always a command to preach the gospel. We always concentrate on Matthew, but actually, the rest of the gospels end with a command the bring the gospel to the ends of the earth. Do you realize this?

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations.” Matt 28:19
“Go down to the ends of the earth and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15
“The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Luke 24:46-47
“Feed my sheep.” John 21:15-17


Therefore, the command to preach the gospel is crystal clear. 


Preaching the gospel involves time, effort, talking to people, leveraging on relationships with people. Where and when do we do these most? At the workplace. In a week, five/six out of seven days are spent at the workplace. If we don’t witness at the workplace, when will we do so? We have wasted too many opportunities to bring someone closer to Christ. May we make the most of chances from now on.


Witnessing at the workplace is the main means of bringing people to the church. Workplace witnessing is also the main objective of working other than as a livelihood and supporting the ministry of God.