Emily Parker spoke to Lorene Phillips about her book '29 Keys To Unlocking Your Faith At Work And Win!', unpacking what it means to have a right attitude, and the importance of investing into your family as well as your career.

Emily: You use the term 'a living ambassador for Christ' within your book. What do you mean by this and how do you live this out?

Lorene: By ambassador, I mean a walking, living example of the character of Christ. It's something that you have to be intentional about. I always say the biggest impression you can make on people's lives is not what you say but what you do. I don't think you have to be wearing a cross or walking with the Bible, dropping hints that you go to church on Sunday and Bible study on a Wednesday. I think people are looking for the real thing, they want to see how you live this out. How do you respond when you work for a boss who is very difficult? Do you engage in gossip? What are your words and language like? How do you separate yourself from others in dealing with crises? Are you kind and compassionate and thoughtful? Basically, are you walking your talk? I think we need to walk the talk more and talk less.

Emily: You talk in the book about promotion and other areas that can be a battle for people, in that they think they've always got to be progressing. How do you keep your eyes on God at work whilst feeling the need to keep progressing?

Lorene: Well a big part of this is making sure you spend time with the Lord. This is different for everybody - it depends on the season of life that you're in. Whatever time you have, it's about creating space where you have alone time with God to really keep you centred on the things that shape your values and your beliefs. This means that when you get into that work space you are actually making decisions and living out your life, applying it in a way that is consistent with those values. For example, Romans 8:28 tells us that everything works out for our good, and we think of that verse so flippantly when things are going great, but when things aren't going well, do we really believe that He works it all for your good?

My faith is a huge component of what keeps me focused on what is important. I trust that the life that I lead in my career is consistent in demonstrating who I am, and what I'm about is actually based on God's word. It's not perfect but hopefully I've been consistent in terms of my motive and my desire in demonstrating that.

Emily: Have you ever had any key role models in your life that you've looked to particularly because of how they have been living out their faith at work?

Lorene: In my early years, no. There are times that I would meet people at work but didn't know they were believers until months or years later. Looking at their lives, their work ethic, the way they spoke, and the way they treated others, they were no different from anyone else. Sadly, some were perhaps even worse than other people who weren't believers.

In the last 10 years I have been fortunate to have met some high flyers who are also believers and are living out their faith. A good friend of mine is an attorney and a business entrepreneur who lives in Toronto. She wrote the foreword for my book and she is someone that I can talk to, as she experiences some of the challenges that I have done, coming from the same place of faith that I do.

A big motivator for writing this book was a challenge for us as believers to really raise our level of standards in the workplace and start doing what Colossians 3:23 tells us which is, whatever we do, we do it as unto God as He is who we work for. I believe that mindset will have a pivotal impact on the way we work.

Emily: If somebody is considering becoming a Christian or looking into faith more, and hasn't actually considered the fact that God does care about their work as well as general life, what advice would you give to them?

Lorene: Well, I guess the short answer is that He does care about all aspects of our lives. He doesn't distinguish us in terms of our roles. One of my best friends is a stay at home mum. Her husband is an executive, so she has the option not to work and her ministry is in the home. She takes care of four kids and I'm constantly encouraging her to understand that her work and her ministry is at home and what a wonderful opportunity it is to support her family in such a practical and consistent way that most working mothers struggle with.

This book is not just for the working person, woman or man, it is for anyone who understands that God loves them unconditionally and that He wants us to serve Him, not out of obligation but out of love and a desire to be an example and a model for Him in the world.

Emily: So this book is not just exclusively for those who work in the business sphere?

Lorene: Not at all! The application may be more to work, but the principles can be applied to any area. The first principle is attitude. It could apply to parenting: am I parenting my kids with the right attitude? Or money: do I have the right attitude when it comes to money? It is a principle that is applicable regardless of whether you're in or outside the workspace.

Emily: If anybody wants to find out more, and get a copy of your book, how can they do so?

Lorene: The book was published through AuthorHouse, which is a publishing company but it's also available on Amazon as well. Otherwise you can reach out to me on Facebook or LinkedIn. I do have an executive coaching company called Clarendon Wallace and the website is www.clarendonwallace.com.