No, not sex, not rest, not recreation. Right after God provided for the physical needs of his new creature, he gave Adam work. God directed Adam to a job site and appointed him job boss.(1) Why? Because human beings need to work. If job loss, disability or even retirement leaves a person with no reason to get out of bed, frustration and even depression may result.

Because work is so important to people, relationships in the workplace are crucial. They can make a mediocre job acceptable or turn a good job into a nightmare.

For Christians, work is a calling from God. This call is not simply a divine command to get out of bed and go to work. It is a call--and an empowerment--for God's people to represent him in relationships with others. Believers, enlightened by God's Word and guided by the Holy Spirit, can discover many possibilities for showing God and his love to others during the workday. Following are five principles that may lead you to improved relationships at work.

Pray for fellow workers, customers, clients and others. My colleagues and I pray for one another and for our clients. Sometimes our staff meetings have become prayer meetings.

What a difference prayer has made in our relationships with one another and in the outcome of therapy. We attribute much of those differences to the effect of the power of prayer. Workplace harmony and spiritual renewal can result from the earnest, persistent prayer of even one person.

"For Christians, work is a calling from God. This call is not simply a divine command to get out of bed and go to work. It is a call--and an empowerment--for God's people to represent him in relationships with others"

Display the nature of Jesus Christ by loving others. God loves people, and he fills his sons and daughters with his love and calls them to love others.

Recently I heard of such a "love" story. Alice, an 82-year-old woman, teetered on the brink of heart failure. Paramedics who answered an emergency call rushed Alice to the hospital. Later one of the paramedics returned to the hospital to see how Alice was doing. "Would you mind if I remember you in my prayers?" the medic asked.

Instantly color returned to Alice's pallid cheeks. Radiating delight, she replied, "I knew it! You're a believer, aren't you? I could tell in the ambulance."

This example shows the sort of work that God's children should do every day because they have been called by God to love others: "Let all that you do be done in love."(3)

Avoid moralistic phoniness. Christians need to uphold righteousness without being pharisaical. That is not always easy, as believers can appear to be legalistic on the one hand, or lackadaisical on the other hand. Steering a steady course between the two extremes requires wisdom, something that God promises to give to those who ask for it.(4)

Kathy's job required that she and a partner work in close proximity for long shifts. One night she found herself working with a new partner, a young man who by way of introduction announced, "My name is Mike, I chew tobacco, and I swear a lot!"

Without missing a beat Kathy replied, "My name is Kathy, and I don't chew tobacco. I don't swear either. What you choose to let out of your mouth is up to you, but you need to know that I love God and that I prefer not to hear his name taken in vain."

For the entire 16-hour shift Mike's speech was free of profanity. Why? Kathy's response was a word of wisdom. She made a straightforward statement of what she believed, and Mike honored it.

"Meekness, humility, submission--how can we summon up those attitudes when we are targets of stinging criticism?"

Know how to handle criticism. Criticism is commonly encountered in the workplace, and it can sometimes lead to frustration and anger. Some people become so wounded from criticism that they seek psychological help. What should they do about faultfinding and critical coworkers?

Carson worked hard at his job, which he liked; he usually went home satisfied with his day. Then a new supervisor took over--a disagreeable type who habitually sought ways to find fault with Carson's work. When the supervisor came by, Carson felt his heart pounding in anger even before the man started talking. Carson's explanations never seemed to make any difference, and as the blaming and faultfinding seemed to intensify, Carson grew to hate the man.

Everyone faces faultfinders. By learning how to respond to them, we can often feel much better about encounters with them. Meekness, humility, submission--how can we summon up those attitudes when we are targets of stinging criticism? Here is the fundamental rule--a rule that most people won't like to hear at first: Agree with your critics.

Some experts say that 90 percent of criticisms that we receive are accurate. In other words, although the critic is disagreeable, the criticism nearly always contains some truth.

What might happen when the response to criticism is "agreement" rather than "argument"? Carson decided to try agreeing instead of arguing. "I see what you're saying," he said. "I may be able to improve this by taking your advice. Thanks." Carson's experiment with this "agreement" response seemed to work. The supervisor gradually stopped his ongoing critique; Carson's spirits picked up, and his improved mood convinced him that humble acceptance was the way to go.

"In ethical conflicts Christians need to choose to do what is their duty, not what is easy or what feels good"

Such responses fit the truth that we are to bear with one another in all lowliness, meekness and patience.(5) Obviously, people should not agree with criticism that is utterly without truth. In such instances we can thank the critics for telling us their view of the matter and promise to consider it.

It may be worthwhile to take inventory: "How do I typically respond to criticism?" Answer with the truth: "Perhaps I do respond to criticism with criticism, to blame with blame, and to attack with attack. I will learn to accept criticism and to learn from it. God has called me to meekness. Therefore, I will learn a new behavioral style marked by humility and meekness."

Five Ways to Represent Christ in the Workplace

1. Pray for coworkers and clients--substitute prayer for faultfinding.

2. Show the character of Christ with loving behavior toward others. Letting the reality of God show in our actions can transform relationships.

3. Practice humility toward others, and avoid self-righteous moralism. Christian righteousness is never faked, never legalistic, never arrogant toward others.

Accept criticism and learn from it, benefit from it and deal with it effectively. Critics may correctly identify an area in your performance that needs work.

4. Maintain the highest moral and ethical standards of behavior and attitudes. Keep watch on your own behavior rather than blaming and censuring others.

5. Maintain high ethical standards. Ethical conflicts often emerge in the workplace.

At one time I worked for Mr. Kramer at a music store where my job was selling records, tapes, sound equipment and television receivers. Despite my boss's hawk-eyed watchfulness, merchandise disappeared. For some reason, Mr. Kramer suspected one of his employees. One day he said to me privately, "I heard that you will be going to Andy's house for dinner. I want you to keep your eyes open. If you see any of the missing merchandise, I want you to tell me."

Andy, my good friend, was the other sales clerk--and I was being appointed to spy on him. Would accepting such an assignment be ethically correct? I was angry at Mr. Kramer for putting me on the spot, yet I needed to remind myself that I owed it to my employer to look after his legitimate interests.

I needed to face this truth: No matter what the cost to me, I could never support a morally wrong act. If Andy had stolen Mr. Kramer's merchandise, I couldn't close my eyes to it.

At Andy's home I didn't see any of the missing items anywhere, so I never had to face the terrible duty of reporting Andy to Mr. Kramer.

Work relationships can stir up tough conflicts. Scriptural principles require honesty and truthfulness toward God and others. In ethical conflicts Christians need to choose to do what is their duty, not what is easy or what feels good. Even when that choice seems threatening and painful, the outcome must be left to God.

Many problems that make the workday difficult stem from relationships.

William Backus, Ph.D., is a psychologist and an author. His published works include "The Healing Power of a Healthy Mind" and "Telling Each Other the Truth." He and his wife, Candy, have four grown children and live in Roseville, Minnesota, where they attend North Heights Lutheran Church (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America). ©1998 Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.