Coram Deo ~

Looking at contemporary culture from a Christian worldview

Living Salty and Light-filled Lives in the Workplace by Luke Bobo

Living Salty and Light-filled Lives in the Workplace by Luke Bobo. Resource Publications. 108 pages. Second Edition, 2017
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The author is the director of curriculum and resources with the respected Made to Flourish pastor’s organization. He writes that work is the most logical and likely place where Christians should be making the greatest impact. He tells us that God has called or appointed every Christian to three vocations or assignments: a “walking” vocation, a relational vocation, and a specific work vocation. He writes that every Christian has specific and divinely ordained work – in business, the home, non-profit, church, etc. And, whatever our specific calling, God has uniquely and divinely equipped each of us to perform this work assignment to His glory.
He tells us that all vocations that seek the common good of all have inherent dignity and worth. Every Christian has divinely appointed work assignments. He writes that when you do what you were divinely designed to do, the result must be contentment and exhilaration because you are working as designed.
He looks at those in leadership, employee and self-employed vocations. Having been in leadership positions throughout my career, I was particularly interested in his section on those in management positions. He encourages us to pray earnestly for men and women at all levels of management, indicating that it is not easy managing broken people. He states that Jesus instructs leaders to lead by serving others, just as He did.
He writes about the temptation of the love of money, reasons we choose not to be salt and light in the workplace, secularism and postmodernism.  When we live salty and light-filled lives in the workplace, others will witness or see our good works and give God our Father praise.
He looks at our work through the grand narrative of scripture: creation, fall, redemption and consummation. He tells us that in the new heavens and the new earth, we will experience work in a new way. Our work will be free of frustration, corruption, and heartache.  Our work is not in vain, it matters. He encourages us with advice given him by one of his former professors to “Live life now from the end of the story”. Our knowledge of the end times should inform our daily work. He encourages us to do our work so well that it might qualify—through the resurrecting power of God—to make it into the new creation.
The author includes helpful questions for reflection at the end of each chapter. Thus, this book is not only beneficial to read individually, but to read and discuss with a group.