It was a slow workday, and I really wanted to watch my favorite player defend her championship title. “OK,” I agreed.

But later that afternoon the Holy Spirit prodded my conscience. It wasn’t right to spend time at work watching a tennis match. Even if I did have some downtime, there were plenty of ways I could spend my time constructively benefiting my employer, not myself. For example, I could do some extra reading to further my knowledge of my field, organize an area of the office that needs work, or touch base with some of my contacts. I am called to be a good steward of my employer’s time and resources, serving the authorities out of respect for the God who has gifted me and called me to my position.

It’s easy to allow personal distractions to take up our time at work. Surfing the Web, sending personal e-mails, scanning social networking sites, and even making personal calls use the time our employers are paying us for. It may not seem like a big deal in our culture—after all, many of our coworkers do it throughout the day, and many of our employers either don’t know or don’t care. But we answer to a holy God who sent His perfect Son to die for our sins. He loves us and calls us to obey Him in response to that love. Even if it means you stand alone, work with integrity, knowing that you are working as unto the Lord.