Charmaine Solomon, a licensed professional counselor and mentor in the 4word Mentor Program, discusses how Christians can live out their faith at work, even if they work in a secular environment.

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You can listen to this conversation with Charmaine on our podcast, Work, Love, Pray! Listen below or click here to find your preferred listening platform.

Having lived internationally, have you observed that integrating faith and work is something Christians struggle with outside the United States, too?

Absolutely. The decline of Christianity is a worldwide phenomenon. In America, we are actually much bolder speaking about our faith than people in most other countries. People in other countries are not as bold because you are limited in what you can say. Thank goodness we are in America and have a lot of freedoms that allow us to express our faith.

In your career, have you ever struggled to integrate your faith within your work?

I have never worked for an organization that was 100% faith-based, so I’ve always struggled to integrate my faith into my workplace and to be able to stand for what I believe. But what I have found was that, within those organizations, there are a tremendous amount of people that are faith-based. I’ve found that as soon as you declare that you are faith-based, people gravitate towards you and start having discussions with you. They feel safer coming to you because you’ve been so open.

Many of our 4word women work for companies that wouldn’t necessarily call themselves faith-based. How would you coach these women on how to integrate their faith into a workplace that doesn’t view faith as a priority like they do?

Make sure you stay grounded and connected. This is why I love 4word because you get to be surrounded by Christian women just like you, dealing with the same professional obstacles as you are. You need that community of support, to be able to be with like-minded people so that when you are struggling, you can go to someone and seek advice that aligns with your beliefs.

I also love the idea of having a boardroom of people around you. In corporate America, we have a boardroom of people that are the brain power and intellectual might of an organization. I believe that you need a boardroom of Christian people that can come around you and supply your life with things that you need. When you are struggling, you will know exactly who to go to, to sit down and be honest with and pray with.

We’ve taken prayer out of schools and workplaces in America, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to continue to bring prayer personally. Don’t let your environment determine who you are. You are able to exercise your faith wherever you are. Remember, though, that if you declare that you’re a Christian, then you need to behave in a Christian-like way because people will look at you differently or criticize you for your faith. Don’t just say you’re a Christian; be ready to practice what you preach.

As a Christian, you should be choosing to live out your faith at work, but that choice is something you really don’t need to take lightly, because the people around you are not going to take it lightly. In my experience, people are watching you and will see that there’s something different about you. Some may even come to you and ask what’s different about you or about the way that you engage with others. There’s spiritual evidence in the way you’re communicating with someone or how you behave in the workplace, and that can make those around you curious, which provides an opportunity for you to share your faith in a tangible way.

In her role as a wife of a corporate executive, mother of a blended family of four children, one with special needs, Charmaine has a unique and personal understanding of the complexities of personal and family dynamics. Born and raised in South Africa, Charmaine has worked and studied in South Africa, England, and the USA. Charmaine’s education, personal and professional experiences on three different continents, brings a richness of cross-cultural diversity, international, HR corporate business and counseling experience.   Charmaine relates well to diverse groups and has fostered relationships within the Plano community.

Charmaine completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at Dallas and her master’s degree in counseling at Amberton University. Charmaine completed clinical hours working with non-profit organizations like the Children’s Advocacy Center and CASA providing counseling and play therapy services to at-risk children, youth, and their families. Charmaine approach is person centered and solution focused, that allows her to collaborate and help clients navigate through life’s challenges. Charmaine enjoys investing in others through coaching and mentoring.

Charmaine is a founding member of My Possibilities – A continuing education adult college like program for adults with IDD. Charmaine’s involvement in the creation of My Possibilities is very personal to her, as she has an adult son with IDD. Initially Charmaine served as a board member, and for the past 10 years she has served as Founder and Chairperson of the Board. Currently Charmane serves as Founder and Chair Emeritus, with her primary focus on setting the strategic direction of the organization, special projects that are growth driven, donor relationships and management, fundraising and expanding the Board of Directors to include a wide range of skillset and diversity to help strengthen the My Possibilities leadership team.  

Charmaine is a proud graduate of Leadership Plano – Class 39, and is very excited to have recently been appointed as Director of Leadership Plano.