One of the biggest temptations Christians face in the workplace is to replace their Christian values with those of the corporate culture. We must learn how to put biblical integrity into practice wherever we are and whatever we do.

In Titus 2:9-10 Paul encourages slaves to see their work as the key foundation to their Christian witness. How? Well, he sees the integrity with which they do their work as being something which will attract others to the gospel.

Integrity, coincidentally, is the single most sought-after personal characteristic in trusted employees. We live in a world which craves integrity, but also a world which doesn't know exactly what it is or where to find it.

Integrity Defined

Daniel is a great example of Christian integrity in a pagan world. He shows us that for God's people, integrity is all about the consistent living of the Christian life. It is about choosing to live in response to the Kingdom of God rather than the kingdom of this world.

In chapter 6 of the book of Daniel, we find him in what must have been an incredible dilemma. Although a Jew living as a captive exile, Daniel has made it to the top of the Babylonian political structure. In fact, he has proved to be so trustworthy and incorruptible, that the king plans to place him in charge of the entire kingdom!

However, while Daniel's work ethic has given him honour in the eyes of the king, it has only served to stoke the jealous fires of his peers. When they learn of the king's plans they search for charges to bring against Daniel. Finding none, they decide to attack Daniel in the one area in which they know they can bring him down, his faith. They approach the king with great flattery and talk him into issuing a decree, making it illegal to pray to anyone other than the king for the next thirty days. The consequence for disobedience is certain death at the hands of hungry lions.

When Daniel learns of the decree he knows that a choice has to be made. Does he serve the king of Babylon or the King of the Universe? For Daniel there is no win-win solution. Obedience to one rule automatically results in disobedience to the other.

Now, Daniel could have chosen to follow the edict of the king. He could have argued that his faith had nothing to do with his work and that as a political leader it was his duty to obey the king's authority. He would just be doing his job!

But the fact is Daniel didn't reason like this. Moreover, the text does not indicate that he wrestled with the issue at all. He marched straight home and prayed to the Lord God in the same open manner that he had always done.

For Daniel there was no question as to whom he should obey. Although he had lived and worked in Babylon most of his life, he wasn't a Babylonian. He was an Israelite, a servant of Yahweh. And Daniel knew that if his primary identity was in being a follower of God, then God's rule and God's law extended to all areas of his life, even his working life! To have integrity was to live in response to this.

As we enter the working world, one of the biggest temptations we will face is to leave our Christian faith outside the door of our workplace - to do our jobs within the accepted value system of our company or profession. This is, after all, what the world expects us to do.

However, as Christians, this is not an option. If our primary identity is found in Jesus Christ then his rule must extend to every part of our life. We cannot live for Christ at home or at church and then drop him off at the coffee shop next to our office. If we are to live a life of integrity we must always put obedience to God first in everything we do.

The truth about consequences

The second lesson we learn from Daniel is that integrity is not always an easy road to follow. It may require sacrifice and suffering. Daniel knew that his obedience to God would most certainly end in death. He had no assurance that God would rescue him from the lions as he stood in his house and prayed to the Lord.

If we lead lives of integrity we can pretty much guarantee that we will have to make some sacrifices. Maybe our colleagues will look us at oddly when we don't exagerate expense claims. Maybe we will be bypassed for promotion when we choose not to lie for our boss. We might even lose our job when we don't go along with an unethical company policy.

Nevertheless, whatever consequence we might face for our decision to serve God, we can rest on the assurance that God is faithful. We might not get to keep our job, but we know that we can trust God to work all things out for our good. And in the end what is more important: our job or our commitment to God?

As you leave university and enter the world of work remember the story of Daniel. Although not all your decisions to follow Christ will be as clear-cut and as drastic as Daniel's, his challenge remains. Who are you going to serve? The kingdom of your career or the Kingdom of the Lord?