You Gotta Have Faith

As the song says, “You gotta have faith.”

We don’t talk much about faith when it comes to work. It’s a super-taboo subject to bring up because we never know what kind of reaction it will create. Instead of talking about the topic of faith, we keep it packed up where it can stay safe.

That is, until now… With everything going on in the world today, the concept of faith has become just a little more acceptable. All those things we thought we were in complete control over in January have now shown their true chaotic nature and reminded us how easily they can shift right under our feet. Maybe there is a place for faith in our work?

Spiritually, relationally, and from a human-perspective, here’s where we’re going with this…

We’ll start in a very obvious spot when it comes to conversations about faith – our spirituality. When we launched OrangeBall eight years ago, as partners, we were very intentional about how our Christian faith would become the foundation for us as an agency. It would guide how we serve our clients, how we treat people, and our decision-making. Our core values would reflect our beliefs, and those beliefs would help dictate our vision and goals.

Does this mean you have to be Christian to work with us, or for us for that matter? No! It simply means that our faith is a core part of how we run our business. We never push it on anyone, but we’ll occasionally ask if we can add them to our prayers when they share a challenge they’re facing. When faith comes up in conversations, we’re bold to share what we believe and to give God credit for our success.

This also means being open to having conversations with people who are different from you, and whose faith isn’t like your own. The world we live in today has taken on a deep-rooted “us vs. them” tone, and it continues to drive us apart. What we believe spiritually can create those barriers, rather than opening up new connections. Our message here is that we need to spend time with people who don’t look like us or even believe like us. It’s OK to be different.

That’s the spiritual side of faith at work, but this concept of faith can take on some other forms as well…

Faith also shows up in our relationships, from our teams to our clients and those in our networks. We have intense faith in people around us. It’s a belief in how they will show up, the kind of people they are, and the level of trust that we have in each other.

We’ve surrounded ourselves (intentionally) with good people, from our staff to our customers. They’re servant-leaders, they’re givers, and they care deeply about the difference they’re making in the world. They’re committed to showing up for one another, to being there, and to being part of the solutions we need, not the problems.

The faith we have in each other and these relationships is earned over time. That deep trust we have in one another comes from the experiences we’ve shared and the challenges we’ve faced together. This kind of faith is built, not bought – and can only grow through hard work, adversity, and time spent alongside one another.

The last kind of faith we see right now is in humankind. We’re living in a time where division, negativity, and chaos rule the news. Frankly, those things drive ratings. But amid all that trouble, we see goodness. We are watching people step up and step in to help one another. We’re watching people get off the sidelines and become part of the solution. Among all the tumult and turmoil, there’s still good in the world, and that gets us all excited.

Whether it’s spiritual, relational, or human-focused, faith is a source of hope. And right now, we could all use a little more of that in our lives and our organizations. That’s the last kind of faith on our list… faith in the future.

Even right now, in the darkness that some of us have been experiencing, we know that this is just a season. The old “normal” may have gone away, but COVID-19 will come and it will go. This election cycle will run its course. Virtual learning will open new doors for us, and our kids will eventually go back to school.

We will rebuild what we’ve lost, because that’s what we do. We build stuff. We’re makers and doers. We’re creators. And, we can’t be held back forever. Our resiliency is being tested and refined right now, but we’ll come out of this all stronger. We have faith in that as well.

Call-to-Action

Look around today, in your work and the world around you, and see where faith is showing up. Dive deep into your relationships, look for those humankind stories, spend time with people who are different than you, and bring your spirituality into your work. There is a place for faith of many kinds in our nine to five – our encouragement to you today is to find it.

Ready for more?
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