Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles

• Business That Gives Back: A Conversation with Alan Barnhardt, CEO. On this episode of the WORKING with Dan Doriani podcast, Dan visits with Alan Barnhardt about how generosity as a business benefits employees and communities, all for God’s glory.
• How to Press on After an Unsuccessful Season of Job Seeking. Russ Gehrlein writes “God is still faithful. Just because it is not God’s will now, does not mean it is not his will in the future.”
• Teachability: The Prince of Character Traits. Dave Kraft writes that teachability is one indispensable quality that he would put at the top of all of the lists when it comes to leaders.
• Called to Lead. My book Called to Lead: Living and Leading for Jesus in the Workplace is available in both a paperback and Kindle edition. Read a free sample (Introduction through Chapter 2).

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

• More links to interesting articles
• The Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week
• Faith and Work Book Review ~ Why Business Matters to God (And What Still Needs to Be Fixed) by Jeff Van Duzer
• Quotes from the book Working Blessedly Forever, Volume 1: The Shape of Marketplace Theology by R. Paul Stevens

• How do I Tailor my Prayers in each Phase of my Career? Russ Gehrlein writes “Do you pray about your work? I know I do, every day. As we begin a new year, let me reflect on prayer a bit.”
• The Power—and Danger—in Luther’s Concept of Work. Dan Doriani writes “Martin Luther probably did more than any Protestant to establish the theology of work many Christians embrace today. Like no theologian before him, he insisted on the dignity and value of all labor. Luther did more than break the split between sacred and secular work—he empowered all believers to know their work served humanity and enjoyed God’s full blessing.”
• Hitting the Bullseye May Take Awhile. Judy Allen writes “Ultimately, it’s God who gives us the skills, knowledge, and experience to accomplish what he has created us to do. We don’t have to findour passion, for if we faithfully follow him, his passion will find us.”
• Caring for Creation: A Conversation with Joel Salatin, Farmer and Activist. On this episode of the WORKING with Dan Doriani podcast, Dan visits with Joel Salatin about Joel’s unique approach to farming, and what God has to say about caring for the created world.
• Using Our Talents for the Glory of God. Hugh Whelchel writes “God gave humans not only the physical world, but our own talents—gifts and abilities that we can use to serve him.”
• Caring for Employees: A Conversation with Mike Duke, Former CEO of Walmart. On this episode of the WORKING with Dan Doriani podcast, Dan visits with Mike Duke, former CEO of Walmart. Mike talks about leading an international corporation with over 2 million employees.
• Some Essential Traits for High-Level Leaders. Ron Edmondson writes “These are some of the “best of the best”traits for those who attempt the daunting responsibility of leading others.”

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Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week

• God created us to work, and he gives us his presence, promises, and grace so we can work diligently and faithfully. Paul Tripp
• When we behave in a just manner in our place of work, we bear witness to Christ. R.C. Sproul
• When people believe in the leader, they believe in the vision. John Maxwell
• When we begin to realize that there’s dignity in every vocation, then we realize that every job has a purpose of serving others and bringing glory to God. Bryan Chapell
• If we believe in God’s sovereign plan, we’ll work at our jobs to please Him, grow in character and Christlikeness, and use our unique sphere of influence to share the gospel. Randy Alcorn
• The new contract without hidden clauses, the lunchtime conversation kept clean, the cleanup job that cuts no corners, the expense report that is true, the hate speech not entered, the rage not expressed, the architecture kept beautiful, the benefits plan made fair, the government policy that is just, the discipline procedure that is merciful—all bring glory to the one who shows his character and care through his people. Bryan Chapell
• The work we are called to do every day is one of the primary means the Holy Spirit uses to conform us to greater Christlikeness. Tom Nelson
• Prayer must not be our intermittent work but our daily business, our habit and vocation. Charles Spurgeon
• Our daily work can be a calling only if it is reconceived as God’s assignment to serve others. Tim Keller

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FAITH AND WORK BOOK REVIEW:

Why Business Matters to God (And What Still Needs to Be Fixed) by Jeff Van Duzer. IVP Academic. 206 pages. 2010
** ½

The author tells us that he hopes that this book will play both a priestly and prophetic role, affirming and challenging. In the book he utilizes the creation, fall, redemption, consummation framework.

The author tells us that when businesses produce material things that enhance the welfare of the community, they are engaged in work that matters to God. He tells us that there are two legitimate, first-order, intrinsic purposes of business:

1. To provide the community with goods and services that will enable it to flourish.
2. To provide opportunities for meaningful work that will allow employees to express their God-given creativity.

The central thesis of this book is that businessmen and businesswomen can do kingdom work in their daily, material jobs. He writes that the purpose of business is to serve. In particular, business serves by making goods and services available to the community that will enable the community to flourish. And it provides meaningful and creative jobs for its employees.

The author spends time looking in detail at H. Richard Niebuhr’s book Christ and Culture, using it to develop five very different ways of reconciling our faith with our business.

The author has shared many of the thoughts in the book with different groups, and received a number of questions. He finishes the book with a brief look at the concerns that were most commonly raised.

This was a rather slow read for me, as the author at times went deep into theology and at other times deep into aspects of business as he discusses his “business as service” model.

Five of my favorite quotes from the book are:

• For our work to mirror God’s it too must aim for outcomes that are good. Good work has substance and meaning.
• Work is not bad, but it is neither as uniformly fruitful nor as satisfying as God originally intended it to be.
• Only when businesses are fulfilling their God-given purposes are they engaged in kingdom work.
• A full understanding of God’s desires for business must include not only an understanding of what a business should do (its purpose) but also an understanding of what a business should not do (its limits).
• The call to business is not neutral. It is not meaningless. It is a noble calling—a calling to participate at the very heart of God’s work in the world.

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Faith and Work Book Club – Won’t you read along with us?

We are reading through Working Blessedly Forever, Volume 1: The Shape of Marketplace Theology by R. Paul Stevens. In this volume, the first of three, Stevens explores the shape of marketplace theology, its posture and methodology. Marketplace theology is the science of working blessedly forever.

This week we look at Chapter 3: Going to Work with the Professor. Here are a few helpful quotes from the chapter:

• Dorothy Sayers has it right. Work was meant to be a way of life, a source of delight, a way in which human beings can find fulfilment and a means of glorifying God. Work should be undertaken for the love of the work itself.
• God brings to us the meaning of our work. In God we bring meaning to our work.
• When we accept the presence of God we do not become suddenly and insanely happy with our work life. But we have joy, the mark of God’s presence.