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In this episode...

How to Keep Others From Abusing Your Best Christian Traits

https://faithfulontheclock.com/how-to-keep-others-from-abusing-your-best-christian-traits

Sometimes, the best traits Christians have make them a target for abuse in the workplace. Episode 122 explains some of the main characteristics people take advantage of and how to protect yourself.

Timestamps:

[00:04] - Intro

[00:40] - Your Christian characteristics set you apart and are not something you ever should feel ashamed about.

[01:27] - Abuse of Christian characteristics routinely gets tied to the idea of being a team player in the workplace. But it is never acceptable, including on the job.

[02:35] - Generosity can be abused by people who expect Christians to give both time and money.

[04:02] - People who expect Christians to be forgiving might pressure you to look the other way and let things go when people hurt you or behave unethically at work. 

[04:30] - Patience gets abused at work when people string you along with no clear time deadlines. It also can get abused in the sense of forcing you to tolerate annoyances or bad behavior from others.

[05:54] - Compassion is one of the most intentionally abused traits. People make you think you are not loving enough if you don’t sacrifice or if you go after your own needs and goals.

[06:33] - Abuse of integrity often shows up as exclusion, but people also can ask you to take the fall (or set it up so you do). It can tie to their desire to continue with the bad behavior status quo.

[08:23] - People can abuse humility by urging you not to brag or credit, only to then step into the quiet space you’ve left to intentionally promote themselves.

[08:57] - Boundaries is your first and best defense against abuse of your Christian traits.

[09:21] - Good communication can ensure people don’t make presumptions that can worsen their abuse.

[10:38] - Stepping back and distancing yourself from abusers is a viable option, but be mindful that redemption is often a long game. Don’t stick around bad people at the risk of corrupting your own character.

[12:34] - Self-care is a valuable way to combat others taking advantage of you because it energizes you spiritually and makes you more confident and consistent. That’s often attractive to others and can open the door to conversations about your faith.

[13:53] - Prayer

[14:40] - Outro/What’s coming up next

Key takeaways:

• The traits Christians typically exhibit as they follow the guidance of God sets them apart. But you shouldn’t be ashamed of being different!
• Abuse of Christian traits in the workplace often ties to the idea of being a team player. But it’s not OK to have others abuse you.
• The main Christian traits people tend to abuse on the job include generosity, forgiveness, patience, compassion, integrity, and humility.
• Setting and holding good boundaries, communicating well, keeping your distance from abusers, and engaging in self-care all are excellent defenses when others try to take advantage of your Christian characteristics.

CTAs:

• Consider the Christian traits you demonstrate most often in your workplace. Pinpoint at least one boundary you might draw for each of those traits.

What’s coming up next:

Professionals see learning and being a polymath positively, but do you REALLY have to know a ton in many areas? Episode 123 confronts the preference for well-rounded genius in the context of spiritual gifts.

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