Three ways to express your faith at work

By Josie Child, PAX Producer

Fred Parker, former Chief Television Director

In this week's PAX video, we hear from Fred Parker, a former Television Director and a committed Christian. For Fred, there is no contradiction between his personal faith and his career in the media. What can we learn from Fred about putting our faith into practice in our workplaces?

1) ‘The truth is something which is very easily taken away from you’

In Matthew 10:16, Jesus tells his followers to be ‘shrewd as serpents, yet innocent as doves’. How can we be both shrewd and innocent? Fred is a great example of living this verse out in the real world. Media is infamous for half-truths, post-truths, and sometimes, downright lies. Just like any other institution, the media can be manipulated, but it can also be a powerful platform for careful, fair and transparent reporting, for exposing injustices and correcting ‘fake news’. As Fred says, if you bring values of fairness, openness, honesty and accuracy to your work, this will be noticeable in the end result.

2) I don’t feel that I’m alone… when I need to do something difficult, I call on my buddy system’

What is our greatest resource when facing difficult decisions, challenging relationships, and burdens of responsibility? God Himself! Psalm 46:1 tells us that ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble’. He is our refuge, often pictured as a shield, safety and protection in our daily struggles, as well as our strength, equipping our minds and bodies to do his work. In Jesus, the one who ‘gives me strength’ (Philippians 4:13), we have access to this help and guidance whenever we need.

3) ‘The best way for Christians to express themselves in the media… is to simply be themselves’

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; these are the ‘fruits of the Spirit’ described in Galatians 5, the mark that a Christian makes on the world when he or she is rooted and established in the love of Christ (Ephesians 3:17). Notice that these fruits are primarily concerned with how we relate to other people. If we cultivate these life-giving, sacrificial qualities, we can reflect the love of Christ in our workplaces.

I hope that Fred’s story will encourage you. You can watch it here.