The Company Rep

Think about this with me for a few moments here.  Once you clock in at your job each day, you no longer represent yourself but the vision, goals and products of the company.  You are paid to do the work that they ask of you to do and everything you accomplish should be according to those purposes. You become the face, the hands, the ears and the mouth of the business.

The first area that I worked in for Hewlett Packard back in the early 1980’s was in a prototype PC board research and development shop.  I started out as a silkscreener and within six months was promoted to supervisor of the swing shift team.  As time went on we needed to increase our production levels and began to look at additional equipment.  So with that goal in mind, my boss and I along with two members of our engineering staff flew down to Anaheim California to attend a large trade show that specialized in our field.  (I probably shouldn’t mention that it was my first flight on an airliner and due to the stormy conditions and a migraine, I had the pleasure of using the little white bag that is provided for passengers in the flap of the seat in front of you… I was the talk of the convention and never lived that one down!!!) 

We had already put out the word to our local sales reps that we were in the market for another NC Driller/Router and a new imaging machine.  Therefore when we walked through the seven exhibition halls and huge tents, we were treated like royalty by the equipment manufactures.  But it wasn’t because of who we were, it was because of who we represented.  At the time Hewlett Packard was the largest manufacturer of electronic test instruments in the world.  (They were also in the beginning stages of their computer business in the 1980’s)  They employed well over 80,000 people worldwide and had financial resources that probably exceeded that of many countries!  When the manufacturing company representatives saw us, they saw Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard!  And of course, as representatives of Hewlett Packard we carried ourselves and conducted our business as such.

I found out this morning that this is the same way that we as Christians are to live our daily lives.  Galatians 2:20 tells us that we “no longer live, but Christ lives in us.  The life that we now live we live by believing in God’s Son, who loved us and took the punishment for our sins.” (God’s Word – personalized)  As Believers we now live and work for Him!  Everywhere we go - 24/7-365 days a year - we represent Him and His kingdom.  The people we see shouldn’t just see us, but should clearly see Jesus in everything we do and say!

The S. Way translation says that “I live by virtue of my faith in God’s son.”  The word virtue depicts strength that comes from the exercise of our faith.  It also means “bravery, valor, acting power, secret agency, excellence, by order of the celestial hierarchy, and legal efficacy or power.”  (Webster’s 1828 dictionary)  So you could say that we live by the exercise of our faith or by the excellence of our faith, by God’s orders to us and/or by the legal authority of Christ.  That kind of puts life in a different perspective doesn’t it?  As His representatives we have certain benefits as well as certain responsibilities to adhere to.

I have to admit that I enjoyed traveling for the company when I worked at Hewlett Packard and later on with their spin off Agilent Technologies.  (When they decided to separate the computer business from the electronic test equipment business)  We were given cash to pay for meals and the other necessities of the trip, had all our reservations set ahead of time, and I also carried a company credit card if expenses exceeded our cash allowances.  But you know what… as a Christian I have the same amenities and more.   Philippians 4:19 assures me that God will supply all my needs, Psalms 5:12 tells me that I have favor that surrounds me everywhere I go, asI now am a part of the royal family of God.

What do you think about all that?  It just might cause you to act a little differently when you go out this week!  Talk about having great expectations in life… Wow!  Have a great day.  Stay in tune to His Word and keep asking yourself… “What or WHOM am I expecting to represent today?”