Office Space

Peter: I don't like my job, and, uh, I don't think I'm gonna go anymore.
Joanna: You're just not gonna go?
Peter: Yeah.
Joanna: Won't you get fired?
Peter: I don't know, but I really don't like it, and, uh, I'm not gonna go.
Joanna: So you're gonna quit?
Peter: Nuh-uh. Not really. Uh... I'm just gonna stop going.
Joanna: When did you decide all that?
Peter: About an hour ago.

This is one of my all-time favorite dialogs and it takes place during the film “Office Space”. It is a ridiculous chain of thought that defies logic; which is quite possibly the reason that I enjoyed the movie in the first place. I’ve identified myself with Peter on many occasions on how I can sometimes feel about my own job.

So what would happen if I stopped showing up for work each day? Or better yet, what if I came to work and did nothing – simply sat at my desk and either surfed the web or stayed on the phone all day with my wife or friends? I do not think it would take very long before I’d receive an invitation to come down the hall to my manager’s office for a little chat session.

Here’s another thought: What if I told my boss in that situation that it was alright because I signed the Employee Agreement for the office back on day-one, well over ten years ago? I mean, sure, I’m not working now, when I do show up, but I accepted the job in the first place and I even gave them my social security number for their records when I did so. Would that explanation hold any weight with an employer? No, it would not. My manager would not buy into that argument and I’d be foolish to believe otherwise. It would defy logic to retain an employee who arrived for work each day with that particular attitude.

But in many ways, as a Christian, I can sometimes live my spiritual life in much the same manner. I forget to pray. I do not witness to others. I find other things to do besides read my Bible and learn more about Him. To be honest, sometimes as a Christian I do not show up at all. I kid myself that God will be understanding and forgive my discrepancies in those areas because after all, I accepted Him as Savior back when I was a teenager and even have a baptism certificate in the closet as my proof!

Salvation is based on faith, not works, and the Bible is adamant about that. I also believe in the grace that came through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus with all of my heart. But does my salvation give me the privilege to live my life as I please even if it means disregarding the things that God would have me do? Can I, as a Christian, live a life wrapped-up and bound by sin?

Paul asked the same question in Romans 6:1. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” Should a Christian continue to live in sin the same as he did before he accepted Jesus in his heart? He answers his own question in verse 2: “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” As a Christian, we are to be ‘dead to sin’. We are new creatures, with a new heart and a new soul, and we are to be led by the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. Sure we will fall on occasion and a slip is always imminent, but we should not thrive in a life of sin – that’s supposed to be behind us. We repented of sin when we accepted Him in the first place.

For the most part, I do a good job at work. I may joke about things, but I like my job and my career fulfills me and provides a purpose to my life. My job performance has no bearing on an agreement I signed a long time ago: I’ve forgotten what the paperwork actually said back then. In the same manner, I cannot base my spiritual life on a baptism certificate or an event that happened many years ago. My spiritual walk must be a daily event. It is all about what I do and the things I say, and how I handle sin in my life. Most importantly, my walk must revolve around my relationship with Him, the one who died for me.