Letting Your Reputation Work To Your Advantage In The Workplace
What reputation has your name earned you in your business affairs? When there is a project, assignment or client to handle do they call on your 
name to get the job done? Have you established yourself to be a problem solver, a woman of excellence, integrity and productivity?
As we approach the time of year where we may study and focus our attention a little more on the scriptures surrounding the birth of Christ, I would like to talk a little about Mary, who was first addressed by the angel Gabriel as a “blessed and highly favored woman of God.” Let’s see what lessons we can glean from her life and reputation that will help us in our careers and professional studies:
1. Mary lived on purpose everyday. She had cultivated a reputation for herself as a young woman who was set apart, holy, pure and ready for God’s next assignment for her life. She was chosen by God because her daily, diligent actions of worship and obedience pleased God so much that his attention was turned toward her. In the same way, professional woman of faith, your time with God is vital. It should be scheduled in your Dayplanner if need be. Celebrate Him everyday. Be thankful for each day. As you make worship time first on your daily list of activities, you are honoring God and He will honor you. Watch God pour out wisdom, energy, creativity, career plans and business strategy in your life. He will shine on you so brightly you will stand out from the crowd and be set apart from other employees and businesses. Your name and your gifts will make room for you wherever you go.
2. The Lord was with her. That’s why she was blessed. God’s presence was evident in her life because her spirit was right and she maintained a clean, pure heart. God rewarded Mary’s worship by drawing near to her. It became His dwelling place, and when you abide in Christ and Christ abides in you all things become possible! You affect the people around you and your attitude shifts the atmosphere. If your co-workers and employees are draining you, then maybe you are not fulfilling your godly responsibility in your workplace. Speak with kindness, encouragement and authority. You should be so filled with God’s goodness on the inside that your simple, “Hello” and “Good Morning” makes people move in the right direction. Your excellent reputation will cause others to respect you. When Mary greeted Elizabeth (Luke 1:41-44) things happened! Why? Beacuse the Lord was with her.
3. Mary understood that the ultimate purpose of God’s assignment for her life was to bring Him glory and praise. When your heart is surrendered to God, He knows He can trust you with His blessings. He knows you have a hearing ear to receive His instruction and an obedient heart to follow through with action. Please stop wrestling with God. He knows what is best for your life, career and studies. Agree with God’s word and His promises even when it appears uncomprehendable. Don’t let fear and doubt keep you from God’s best. There are opportunities, projects and assignments He wants to bring to you in order to advance His Kingdom and impact other people with His goodness and abundance. Be a willing servant like Mary and walk in incredible faith.
If you want to live blessed and highly favored, you must hunger and thirst for His presence in your life. Willingly serve Him with your gifts at your place of business, corporate office or college campus and watch Him enter the building. Glorify God in the workplace by walking in excellence and Christ-like character. A good reputation is priceless and opens doors to countless blessings and opportunities. And even when the enemy tries to prove otherwise, you will see God quickly come to your defense.
Words And Actions For Your Journey To Kingdom Purpose:
- Spend some time this month offering God worship that will put a smile on His face. (Hint: the countenance on your face should show evidence that the Lord is with you and shows up daily in your life encounters.)
- Currently, is your reputation paving the way for promotion or demotion? When your name is mentioned in the office, how do people respond? If things are not working in your favor, take some time this month identifying some character flaws you would like to correct and skill sets you need to develop in order to cultivate a godly reputation.
Luke 1:26-45
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you![d]” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel[e] forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.[f]” 38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. 39 A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town 40 where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. 43 Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? 44 When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
© 2009 Valisha McFarlane
