I posted this short note on social media before the holidays, after an extended conversation with a U.S. Army noncommissioned officer with whom I coordinate on occasion:

I was reminded twice this week that we don’t need to say we care. We just need to show it. When you ask people how they are doing, some will actually tell you. Our job is to listen and offer a word of encouragement, as appropriate. My recommendation – keep asking people questions and then take time to listen. Let’s care for the people who cross our paths. Perhaps this is one of the reasons God puts us where we are. We have divine appointments that allow him to love others through us at work.

I got one response fairly quickly. A senior officer whom I highly respect shared with me that she had spoken with a soldier a while ago and had asked him quite sincerely how he was doing. In the course of him telling her how he was actually doing, he revealed to her that he was suicidal.

Both of these situations were strong confirmations of the value of someone living out what Jesus taught in the parable of the Good Samaritan. When we see someone on the side of the road, even though we might be extremely busy and may have good reasons not to want to stop and help, a woman or man of compassion does take time to meet needs. This is truly what right looks like.

Christians are called to love our neighbor as God gives us the opportunity to sacrificially meet legitimate needs with the resources he provided for us to use for his glory. As we engage with those with whom we work, we may see unexpected “divine appointments” to love our neighbor in practical ways. Perhaps this is one of the reasons God placed us here. I encourage you to explore this topic with me.

Who Are Our Neighbors at Work?

In the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10:25-37) we learn that being a good neighbor is more important than debating who our neighbor is and that loving our neighbor involves sacrifice of time, talent, and treasure to meet their needs (i.e., physical, mental, emotional, financial, and/or spiritual).

Your neighbor might be your boss, who is struggling to respect his boss. It might be a coworker who is estranged from an adult child, a subordinate with a sick parent, an upset customer, or a stranger you see in the hallway who looks like they have the weight of the whole world on their shoulders.

Remember, you are where you are because God put you there. There are people around you who are hurting in some way. You may be there for such a time as this, to make a difference in their life. Over the years, I have come to understand that sometimes I have gone through a trial in my life so that I can be a vessel of God’s comfort to others since I know what it’s like to receive it as I went through the same thing myself (2 Cor. 1:3-5). After my wife had two miscarriages, she and I joined a club we didn’t know was so large, where one out of every three women had gone through the same.

How Can We Care & Still Do Our Job?

I imagine this might be a concern for many Christians. How do you maintain a proper balance between ministering to people who open up to you while staying focused on the priorities that your boss has established for you to produce things, manage projects, and serve customers? (Note: I invite you to read an article I wrote a couple of years ago, “How Much Time Should I Spend Developing Relationships at Work?”) The average person cannot spend their whole day talking with coworkers about their personal problems. (Unless, of course, you are a professional counselor.)

Most Christians would consider caring for their neighbors at work a high priority. However, the reality is that you must be sensitive to how much time you invest. Is mentoring your subordinates part of your job? If so, do it efficiently. Build relationships, earn people’s trust, and encourage those who need it in small increments. You may not have the luxury of spending hours listening to someone pour out their life story to you. That may have to be done outside the office.

Throughout your day, pray that God will open your eyes to those who need what you have to offer. Pray that he would make it clear to you which ones are divine appointments where you can share truth and listen lovingly.

How Does Caring for Others Glorify God?

First of all, since I didn’t mention it earlier, I will do so now. This is a great illustration of the concept of Immanuel Labor. This foundational theological idea that God is present with us at work calls attention to the fact that God, in his grace and mercy, works with, in, and through us to love our neighbors all around us. When you help someone in need, God is loving them through you.

Second, Jesus taught that when we love others with good words and works, it is as if we are doing it to him (see Matt. 25:31-40). Frankly, this is somewhat difficult for me to comprehend. It is much easier to grasp the concept of making efforts to imitate Jesus, i.e., “What Would Jesus Do (WWJD)”? When I come across the least, the last, and the lost, all I have to do is treat them like Jesus would treat them.

Regardless of how we look at it, whether we see God loving others through us, or loving others as if we are doing it to Jesus, or as Jesus would do it, the result is the same. When we wholeheartedly love God by loving our neighbors, it does put the spotlight on God’s love for them, which is what glorifying God is all about.

Practical Considerations

If I neglect to present a few practical things to consider, I would be remiss. Here are a few things you might want to do:

• Be careful not to get overly involved
• Encourage them to take ownership of their own issues
• Be willing to be vulnerable; share your own struggles, if appropriate
• Be available to assist when needed
• Know when and where to redirect them to supporting agencies

Lastly, I want to emphasize that keeping your team focused on their mission at work can be helpful. When folks are busy doing their jobs, making contributions to the organization, and thinking of how they can serve others, they have little time to be focused on their problems. My military experience has taught me that we have to take care of people and accomplish the mission, it is not either or.

Closing Thoughts

Let me leave you with one last goal when you work with people who are dealing with personal issues. Don’t do it alone. If you are a team leader, supervisor, manager, or executive, make it a priority to encourage your team, large or small, to look for opportunities to care for everyone. Develop a climate where caring for one another is the norm. I call it 360-degree mentoring. We not only look out for those who are below us, but those to our right and left, and even those above us.

I am reminded once again of that old chorus we used to sing way back when, “They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love. They will know we are Christians by our love.”

Editor’s note: This article was republished from the author’s blog with permission.