Active submission: How to change things when you're not in charge

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Workers don't always agree with their bosses. There will be times when the decisions, principles, and ideas of our superiors can contradict ours. Maybe the culture in our workplace is something that we think need to be changed for the good of everyone.

No, I am not implying that we should go against our boss. God makes it clear in Romans 13:2, "Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment."

If we go against our boss, we could very well go against God.

Actually, we do not need to be in charge to make a positive impact in our workplace. There are ways that we can still lead while actively serving and submitting to our superiors, and how that happens is totally up to us.

Here are some pointers to take note of as we seek to actively and positively change things in the workplace today.

1. Seek impact, not position

The biggest misconception we face is that we need position or political power to induce change. But if you take a look at how the world's many culture breakers had brought positive change in their respective societies, you would notice that they did it with the absence of position or power. They include Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa or Mahatma Ghandi, just to name a few. They did not have position, but they created impact.

In the same way, we can downscale that principle and create change from the fringe, not necessarily going against people, but breaking barriers and cultures in the office place nevertheless.

2. Serve, do not lord over

Jesus had this to say about leadership in Mark 10:43-44: "But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all."

We shouldn't think so much of change as questioning and distorting the authority of superiors, but rather serving and augmenting their work.

3. Submit to God

At the end of the day, our ultimate boss is no other than God Himself. Our work is done for Him, through Him and to Him. James 4:6 urges us, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

When you do your work unto the Lord, it's almost impossible to not create any impact whatsoever.

Work done for God always becomes a blessing to Him, to us, and to other people around us. Sure there will be resistance, but that's the natural response to change. If we live out a culture in a way that honours God, it will only be a matter of time until we will see the fruits of a positive change.