Be Imitators of God

by Nicky Welsh

Hope Church, Durban, South Africa

Nicky Welsh writes about being a woman in the workplace. Nicky and her husband Gary are part of Hope Church, the Newfrontiers plant in Durban, South Africa.

The Bible exhorts us to ‘be imitators of God’ (Eph. 5:1). How can I put that into practice as a woman of God in the workplace?

I left school having completed sixth form studies to take a gap year before going on to further education. 33 years on, I am still in my gap year! I somehow never made it to college but I did make it to the level of Director.

When you have a moment, read Ephesians 4:14 – 5:20. The passage encourages us not to walk or behave as we used to because we are now the children of God. God has done a work in us and therefore we choose to live life in a way that is often counter-culture. Paul’s description of Ephesus will resonate with many of us. We are surrounded by hardness of heart, callousness, sensuality, greed and deceitfulness. We are not called to a new morality, but rather to live in the good of who we are – God’s children! It isn’t about trying to do our best all the time; it’s about acknowledging our inheritance. The King’s children know that they are royal, they have a heritage and they should live accordingly.

For us, this is possible only when God has touched our lives and done an irreversible work in us. We are able to imitate God by displaying the fruits of the Spirit in our lives.

I worked for 22 years in local government and the public sector in London, making the transition over those years from a junior administrative post to Director. In my experience, women will often disqualify themselves in situations where men would be happy to ‘have a go’. It has been my privilege to see many women achieving things they didn’t believe were possible, gaining confidence, satisfaction and new skills in the process.

Whether you are a company director, home-maker, supermarket worker, bus driver, politician – the list is endless – God is interested in the daily routine of your life and in how you work that out. Society places huge pressures on women, particularly those who are raising children, running a home and filling a salaried post. Superwoman comes to mind: you fly from one task to another (or wish you could) feeling that nothing actually receives the attention it deserves. You spend your days juggling priorities and trying to please God, family, employer and anyone else who makes demands on you.

I believe those pressures come from society and not from God. Ephesians makes it clear that if we are born of God we can imitate Him. We do not have to earn His approval. And, even better, we can practice the gifts of the Spirit on a daily basis.

It is a process

We are on a journey of sanctification and the workplace is one of the environments where we are called to work out our salvation, because God is at work in us!

In every job I have done, there have been challenges; to my faith, to my marriage, to my belief in myself. But believing that God has allowed us to be in whatever post we happen to be filling, that the workplace is part of our mission field and learning to call on God frequently, builds faith and confidence.

I love to look back over my life to remind myself of God’s faithfulness. I was born in London in 1954. I grew up in a loving non-Christian home. In 1966, at the age of twelve, I attended a Billy Graham crusade meeting at Earl’s Court and gave my life to Jesus. Just over three years later my father died (he had lung cancer) and my world fell apart. But God had already surrounded me with righteous men and women who supported me through those difficult teenage years.

The process of sanctification that begins the day God invades our lives, continues until we die. As I look back, I am so aware of spiritual growth-spurts in my life. My father’s death obviously provoked one of those and all of the employment roles that I have filled over the years have provided opportunities for God to reveal things in me that have required change. We must be those who practice repentance, especially in relation to the workplace. We need to be in accountable Christian friendships where we can receive good counsel and prayer support.

We are the children of God

Our behaviour matters and has an impact on those around us. In many of the jobs I have done, I have been surrounded by immorality. I am sure that will be the case for some reading this article. ‘Look carefully then how you walk … because the days are evil’ (Eph. 5:15–16 ESV). I learnt, particularly as I gained status, to walk very carefully indeed. The higher up the ladder you climb, the fewer women there will be around you.

Spending social time alone with male colleagues is unwise. Flirting and behaving in any provocative way in the workplace is dangerous and gives the wrong signals. Be careful of body language and conversation. Choose work clothes wisely. If you are married be careful how you speak about your husband in the workplace.

If your job involves travel or residential situations, plan ahead. Do not invite male colleagues into your hotel room, be careful around alcohol, be accountable to someone you trust and talk about such trips, and make sure you have people praying for you whilst you are away from home.

Sadly, I have seen colleagues make very unwise decisions at such events and live to regret them when relationships and trust have been broken. As Christians we are members of God’s family. Our culture is Biblical and we believe in truthfulness and commitment. Because we are now God’s children, we are no longer subject to our human history.

Choose your battle carefully!

If we are not able to do this we will struggle, particularly as women in the workplace. I have learnt to ignore sexist jokes (my identity is in God who does not consider me a joke). I have learnt to choose my battles carefully. Some things really matter and others are neutral. I once worked in an office where there were pornographic calendars on the walls. I made a fuss and they were removed and replaced with Monet prints! Learn to use your energy wisely!

In Britain during the late 1970s and ‘80s, when equal opportunity policies were being introduced into local government, some Christians became reluctant to talk about their faith. Quite rightly, racial and sexual discrimination began to be exposed, and recruitment and management procedures had to change to adhere to legislation.

I was working in a progressive environment and had a manager who viewed Christianity as an exclusive and threatening culture. At the time, I did not know how to handle that and so I went ‘underground’. The world does not need underground Christians, it needs the gospel! The problem was my lack of knowledge and ability to share my personal belief system with my work colleagues.

In later years, having joined a Newfrontiers church (Downham Way Family Church) and been baptised in the Spirit, I learnt to talk freely about my faith and to take opportunities, especially on Mondays, to talk about church and mention answered prayer just by sharing in everyone’s weekend feedback.

Respect rather than ridicule

As a result, I was often asked to pray for people and found myself in amazing situations where staff would ask about God and how it was that I could have such a strong faith. It was wonderful to be able to talk freely about my beliefs and to experience respect rather than ridicule.
If we live as children of God, making the most of our church family community and small group structures, God will shine out of us. Like a natural child we will display a family resemblance to our Father. The call on us then is to be careful how we represent our Father!

Refuse to gossip or take part in any unkind conversation in the workplace. Be the one who reaches out to those who are not ‘cool’ or don’t fit into the workplace culture. Be a good manager and employee, be positive and encouraging, building up those around you. Refuse to keep secrets. Confidentiality in the workplace is essential but it should be justified and managed. Avoid secrets, particularly when they relate to colleagues; they can be a cover for dishonesty. Learn to confront bad behaviour with gentleness and honesty.

Finally, be prepared to take risks. I left the UK with my husband, Gary, in 1995 to move to Cape Town to serve Simon Pettit and the Newfrontiers churches in South Africa. I was still working for Simon when he died in January 2005 and have remained with Newfrontiers, providing an administrative link between the UK and Southern Africa.
Many would have said that for us to leave the UK in 1995 was madness. In God’s economy, it made perfect sense. I have been able to use the skills learnt over many years in the UK to serve Newfrontiers in Southern Africa (and be paid for it!). I have been able to make a contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa. It has been an absolute privilege and I know that the journey is not over yet!