Loving your co-workers

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is famous, and usually associated with weddings.  But when God commands us to love others the way we want to be loved, that means everyone. Including co-workers.  I know most of us don't really think of "loving" our co-workers.  Usually we are lucky if we can tolerate some of our co-workers.  Anytime you have a lot of people working closely together in a small area, there will be conflicts of ideas, personalities and agendas.


So I'm going to look at how Paul defined love as inspired by the Holy Spirit in this famous scripture and how we can use this to love our co-workers, and create a more peaceful and productive work environment.


"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."


Let's break this down, description by description, in regards to co-workers (and you can apply it to bosses and people you manage as well):


Patient - Be patient with your co-worker who may have a different work style from you, and may not have a fast turnaround on projects.  Everyone has a different learning style as well. Introverts may want to work more independently than extroverts. 


Kind - Always talk to your co-workers with a kind tone, respectful and so they know you are not against them.  A smile every morning, a "have a great day," "what a beautiful shirt," and a "how was your weekend?" can have a big affect on someone having a crappy day.


Do not envy - Allow all individuals in your work place to shine in their own individual ways.  If one person is given public appreciation by bosses, be happy for them.  Work should not be a competition, but a team effort where each person is used for their strengths, and no one is put on the spot because of their weaknesses.


Do not boast - Pride is a sin.  Be humble. It's nice to be recognized, but do not go overboard in bringing attention to your successes over others.


Not proud - See above.


Not rude - i.e. BE KIND.  Each person has a right to respect and dignity in the workplace.  Remember your co-workers are someone's mother and father, someone's son and daughter.  How would you want your parents or your children being treated in the workplace?  Think and listen to your tone before you speak.


Not self-seeking - Again, work can only be successful if people work as a team.  Help others out, and not for your own glory, but because you care about seeing others succeed.


Not easily angered - If things go wrong, someone forgets something, a big deal doesn't go through, remember it's not the end of the world.  Tomorrow is another day, with new decisions and choices and chances.  And in the end, this is just a temporary resting place.  In eternity with God, these things won't even matter.  So relax, go with the flow, learn good conflict management skills. Negativity breeds negativity and positivity breeds positivity. If you want to work in a positive environment watch your anger.


Keep no record of wrongs - Don't hold a grudge.  It will seep into everything you do, keep your mind on the things that aren't important, and severely affect all the relationships you have at work.  You will be known as the person that won't let things go.  Why not be the person who forgives?  The person who lives and learns.  The person people go to when they have an issue, not the person people walk on eggshells around because they're afraid to upset you.  If people are too afraid to talk to you, that can severely impact work relationships, cause gossip, and decrease efficiency.


Do not delight in evil - Do not manipulate others for your own pleasure or gain.  As a worker, you are part of a team, a family, and should be a supportive member wanting only the best for everyone involved.


Rejoice with the truth - Do not lie to get ahead.  Instead maintain your moral integrity in your workplace.  The idea of tattle tales is not looked at positively, but if someone is hurting someone, harassing someone, or taking advantage of the company, you should be the one to bring it to the attention of an appropriate individual.  And not for your own satisfaction and gain, but because you care about the integrity of the organization you work for and the morale of the people on your team.


Always protect - Come to the defense of others when needed.  Is someone you know being harassed?  Is your co-worker being jumped on because of THEIR success.  Is someone telling racist or sexist jokes?  Be a good friend, and let people know you will have their back. Defend those you care about and let people know that that sort of behavior is not professional (but in a tactful, respectful way).  Diversity training is always a good start.


Always trust - Don't assume people are bad, out to destroy you, or out to get you fired.  If everyone decides to trust first, then working as a team will come much more easily.  All good teams must have trust before they can be successful.  I know people say "trust must be earned."  But if you truly love those you work with, you will trust first until someone gives you a reason not to. 


Always hope - Even when things aren't going the way you expect, know God is in control and he has a plan that is right and good.  We can't control everything but we have hope in Jesus Christ.  God turns all things into good, even if you can't see where the good can come from when you're in the midst of the struggle.


Always persevere - Even if morale is low, your co-workers complain constantly, and are even manipulative, cynical or destructive, do not stop loving them.  Walk in every morning with a smile on your face, bring in donuts or bagels, write little encouraging notes once in a while.  Let them know YOU care about them, their job, and their position in the organization, and them as a friend.  This will help make them more confident, and give them more motivation to succeed if they know their work affects others who care about the.


A little bit of love in the workplace can go a long way.  Love is not just for spouses and children, it's for every single person you come into contact with on a daily basis.  Jesus said the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.  In some cases we spend more time with our co-workers than our family.  In fact, some studies show that your relationship with your boss affects your level of overall happiness in life more than your relationship with your spouse.  So let's start loving everyone we come into contact with, including our bosses, our co-workers, and those we manage.  It's not hard when you have Jesus as your role model.  How did he deal with his "co-workers" (i.e.  apostles)? He SERVED them. He showed humility by washing his discples feet. He encouraged them even when they had no faith.  He even allowed them to deny him but did not hold it against them.  In fact, Peter, who denied Jesus three times, went on to be one of the most influential apostles in church history.


Next time you go to work, remember you are serving those you work with. God put you in that place of work, in that position, not to be the #1 sales person or the smartest engineer, he put you there so you could have a positive impact on the people you come into contact with every day.  Use the opportunities he provides you to do his will here on earth.  It's a challenge every day, believe me I know, but remember with God, all things are possible.


God bless.