What's Best Next

  • Newsletter
  • Our Mission
  • Free Resource
  • Contact
  • Coaching
    • Center for Coaching
    • 2-HOUR DARE
    • Our Coaches
  • Speaking
  • Store
    • Online Store
    • Cart
    • My Account
  • Resources
    • Productivity
    • Leadership
    • Management
    • Web Strategy
    • Book Extras
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Our Core Values
    • Our Approach to Productivity
    • Our Staff
    • Contact
You are here: Home / Archives for 8 - Christian Living / f Work & Vocation / Work

Go, Be Warm and Be Filled, and Be Unemployed

November 4, 2013 by Matt Perman

This is an intriguing post by Tom Nelson, author of Work Matters, over at his blog by the same name.

Here’s one of the best parts:

Some social observers are starting to refer to a younger generation facing chronic unemployment or underemployment as the lost generation. Presently it seems the church’s response in these troubled times echoes the empty words decried by the apostle James, “Go, be warm and be filled.”  Have we settled in for a respectable appearing faith devoid of works? Are we not in effect saying to so many, “Go, be warm, be filled and be unemployed.”

Could we spend more time praying and thinking how to extend a hand up instead of merely offering a hand out? Could we point a way forward so that a lost generation might become the entrepreneurial generation? What if a new generation of apprentices of Jesus would not only lift up the banner of justice, but also bring the rich truths of the Gospel into the economic sphere of life? What if a rising generation would push back against a spirit of entitlement and class envy? What if a gutsy go-for-it new generation would embrace personal diligence, disciplined responsibility, self-sacrifice, risk-taking and creative entrepreneurship? What if more venture capital, economic opportunity and intergenerational mentoring were available both in our urban and suburban areas?

Read the whole thing.

Filed Under: Work

How Do You Love Your Neighbor at Work?

August 20, 2013 by Matt Perman

As I learned from Tim Sanders’ excellent book Love Is the Killer App several years ago, the best answer is: always be on the lookout to share your knowledge, networks, and compassion.

I show what this means and some biblical foundations in my guest post at the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics blog.

Filed Under: Career Success, Love, Work

The Call to Do Good and the Call to Work: Are They at Odds?

August 15, 2013 by Matt Perman

That’s the title of my guest post from yesterday at the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics. I will be guest posting there twice a month on the connections between theology, work, and economics, along with how we can live out the biblical doctrine of work in practical ways.

I am very excited about the work that is being done by the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics. They exist to educate and inspire Christians to think Biblically about issues of faith, work, and economics and “to steward their whole lives in a way that benefits society and glorifies God.” Thus, one of their chief aims is “to awaken Christians to the strategic role their work plays in God’s loving and redemptive narrative in the world.”

One of the reason I’m so excited about the institute is that creativity, purpose, and freedom are three of the core biblical principles behind everything they do. Here’s how they put it on their site:

  • Each person is created in God’s image and, like Him, has a desire to be creative and fulfilled using their God-given talents through work.
  • As we explore a comprehensive Biblical view of work, we understand that our work – whether paid or volunteer – matters to God and is an integral part of His purpose in this world.  For many of us, this is a paradigm shift in how we view work.
  • Indeed, God’s call to Christians is to pursue excellence throughout the week – not just on Sundays – stewarding all that we’ve been given for the good of others and God’s glory.
  • Therefore, if this is true about work, we as citizens must cherish and sustain an economic environment that not only provides us the freedom to flourish in our work but also reflects the inherent dignity of each human being.

In my view, those three principles are precisely what needs to be at the forefront if we are going to truly recover the biblical doctrine of work for what it really is.

You can learn more about IFWE on their website and also read their blog, Creativity, Purpose, Freedom.

Filed Under: Work

Is it Really Biblical To Love Your Work? A Closer Look at Ephesians 6:5-8

August 12, 2013 by Matt Perman

I’m a firm believer in doing work you love. Not only is this an intrinsic good, it also enables you to be more effective at what you do — and thus serve others with greater effectiveness, passion, and clarity.

But someone might say “Since God can use us wherever we are, it doesn’t matter if we love our work or not. So let’s get rid of this silly quest to actually like what we spend 40 hours (or more) of our weeks doing.”

Sounds a bit spiritual, right? Or, maybe I should say, sounds a bit…over spiritual. Which is the first sign of the problem. So let’s take a closer look at Paul’s core passage on work, Ephesians 6:5-8.

Paul does indeed teach that the Lord can use us anywhere, and that we can find joy in our work no matter what it is (assuming it is lawful). His teaching to slaves here is to “do the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, not that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord.”

So, no matter our work is, we can indeed find a way to take joy in it because we can do it for the glory of Jesus. Specifically for slaves, Paul’s counsel is: “If you are a slave, don’t worry about. Do your work with joy, knowing that you are ultimately serving God. Your ability to make an impact will not be lessened because you are in slavery; do all the good you can in your work, knowing that you will be rewarded abundantly for it from the Lord.”

This is a precious, fundamental reality. So, following from this, we might then say: “So it doesn’t matter, then, if we actually like our jobs themselves. Who cares if you have a job you like? God uses you anyway.”

This is where the fact that Paul is here addressing those who are in slavery comes into play. I’ve always been slightly uncomfortable with how everyone applies this text directly to modern-day employees, as though we can just take it over wholesale. The general principles certainly remain, but the fact that Paul is addressing those in slavery here does mean something.

This flips us over to 1 Corinthians 7:17-24, where Paul addresses the issue in some more detail. Here Paul teaches us that we are to live according to the condition in which God has placed us. Paul’s counsel to slaves is “don’t worry about your condition. I know it is hard, but don’t worry that it diminishes your relationship with the Lord. You can do everything in your condition to God’s glory, and he will be fully pleased with you.”

The thing is this: God pays attention to the specific contexts of our lives and seeks to give us counsel tailored to our unique situations. Whereas those in slavery didn’t have any say over their work and roles, those who are free do have a say. That’s what it means to be free.

That matters. If you notice the argument of the passage, Paul’s point is that it is OK to live according to the context in which we find ourselves. “Let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him” (1 Corinthians 7:17). If you became a Christian while a slave, that’s OK. Likewise, if you became a Christian while free, that’s OK to. You can keep living as a free person. “In whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God” (1 Corinthians 7:24). And part of what it means to be a free person is that you have control over what jobs you choose and which career path you want to take. You can make those choices — it’s up to you.

So Paul is not saying to free people “just put up with whatever you’re given.” That’s contrary to the nature of being a free person. Paul expects free people to live as free people. Thus, it’s OK to seek a job you love. Again, that’s part of what it means to be free.

Paul’s counsel to those who are free, then, is simple: live as a free person. It’s OK! If you want to work in a field you love and have a job where the bulk of the activities are things you find engaging and which challenge you, go for it. You don’t have to fall for the trap of the over spiritualizers who say that since some people (maybe them?) don’t like their jobs, you shouldn’t either. “Let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him” (1 Corinthians 7:17). For those who are free, that means living according to the fact that you have freedom over what you choose for a job. So if you prefer, then seek a job you love.

It’s OK. Go for it!

Filed Under: c Career Navigation Skills, Work

How Then Should We Work?

February 12, 2013 by Matt Perman

I’m really looking forward to Hugh Whelchel’s recent book How then Should We Work?: Rediscovering the Biblical Doctrine of Work. I’ve had a chance to dip into it a bit, and one of its stand-out features is a very helpful, succinct, and clear history of the different views on work and calling through the ages. I especially love his summary of Luther’s recapturing of the biblical view, especially his points that:

  • Vocation is the specific call to love our neighbors. That’s the essential meaning of the doctrine of vocation.
  • We live out this calling in the world, not by retreating from it. “Accord to Luther, we respond to the call to love our neighbor by fulfilling the duties associated with our everyday work.”
  • “We can only truly serve God in the midst of everyday circumstances, and all attempts to elevate the significance of the contemplative life are false.”

Hugh is executive director of the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics, whose mission is to equip Christians with a biblical theology of work and economics. They are doing excellent work, and I highly recommend them and their work.

Filed Under: Work

"Religious Leaders Speak Inadequately About Business"

January 29, 2013 by Matt Perman

A good point from Michael Novak:

Worse still, experience teaches, religious leaders speak inadequately about business — more so than about almost anything else they preach on. Their professional vocabulary, for the most part, so misses the point that it is painful to listen to them….Those whose religious and moral vocation in life is played out in one of the many fields of business get little enough help, then, from those they would normally turn to for instruction.

Let’s change this!

Filed Under: Business, Work

Why a Christian Understanding of Work Matters

April 12, 2012 by Matt Perman

Here’s an interview Luke Daughtery did with me for the Sojourn blog. I talk about how I got interested in the doctrine of vocation, where most Christian teaching on vocation is thin right now, on the connection between productivity and management and leadership, and more.

And, if you attend Soujourn or are in the Louisville area, join us this Saturday from 8 am to noon where I will talk on a fruitful leadership in the marketplace.

Filed Under: Work

Working Hard is Biblical

March 26, 2012 by Matt Perman

Sounds obvious. Most of the time when people think of a Christian view of work, they think “work hard and be honest.” This is so obvious we easily take it for granted.

But what is the textual basis for working hard? Is it truly biblical, or just a Western idea that we’ve uncritically absorbed?

It is indeed truly biblical. If the West is known for its work ethic, it is in part due to the influence of the Bible. Here are just a few texts, divided into two categories.

1. Paul worked hard, not only in his ministry but also in non-ministry work, in order to give us an example that we all ought to work hard as well:

You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive'” (Acts 20:34-35).

“For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate” (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9).

2. Proverbs tells us that if you are slothful in your work you are not only lacking sense and hurting yourself, but are actually akin to a vandal:

“Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth” (Proverbs 12:27).

“Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger” (Proverbs 19:15).

“I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense” (Proverbs 24:30).

“Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys” (Proverbs 18:9).

Don’t be a vandal. Work hard!

 

 

Filed Under: Discipline, Work

7 Motives in Our Work

March 21, 2012 by Matt Perman

As Christians, what are our primary motivations in our work? Here are 7.

1. The glory of God

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. . . . You are serving the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24). “…rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man” (Ephesians 6:7).

2. The good of others

But how do we do something to the glory of God? First by offering it to him — doing it for his sake and in his power. But, second, by seeking the good of others. The first commandment is to love God with our whole hearts (Matthew 22:37). But the second is like it: “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Loving your neighbor is not some abstract thing you need to go to Africa to do; rather, we love our neighbors primarily in the context of our vocations — the things we do every day, like our work. Our work is an avenue of doing good for others.

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man” (Ephesians 6:5-7). When Paul tells slaves to “obey” their masters, of course this means doing what they are told and not being disagreeable. But it means more than that. It means employees are to seek the good of their employer. Don’t just do the minimum; take initiative and go the extra mile. Don’t be a clock-watcher; render service with a good will that seeks and desires the good of your employer — and your co-workers, any who work for you, your company or organization, and ultimately the good of your city and society in general (Jeremiah 29:5-7).

3. Enjoyment of the work itself

You don’t get more spiritual points for hating your job. And you don’t get docked spiritual points for loving your job. As Christians, we are to love our jobs. Not just the fact that our jobs are a service, but also the activities of our jobs themselves. “Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 5:18). “I perceive that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil — this is God’s gift to man” (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13).

4. To earn money to support yourself, give, and enjoy

Earning money is a legitimate motivation for our work. It’s just not the first motivation. We earn money so that we can support ourselves without being in need: “…and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may live properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12). And, if you notice the connections that exist within 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, you see that working such that you are not dependent on anyone is actually a form of love.

So we work in order to support ourselves. We also work in order to have something to give: “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” (Ephesians 4:28). Don’t work to get merely; work to get in order to give.

And, with some of the money we earn, it is right and good not simply to support ourselves and give sacrificially for the good of others, but also to enjoy it and do interesting things. For God “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17) and “everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:4). The problem is in putting your hope in riches, being arrogant, and being stingy (1 Timothy 6:17-18), not in enjoying the fruits of your work.

5. Hope

Sometimes we are underpaid in our jobs here, and not all the good that we do is seen or rewarded or cared about on earth. But the Lord sees it all and will reward it all: “render service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free” (Ephesians 6:8).

Likewise sometimes we are treated unjustly in our work and wrongs are committed against us. Further, sometimes those who have greater authority are shown partiality so that they get away with things they shouldn’t. So also here, we are able to continue on in the hope that God notices those wrongs as well, and will address every wrongdoing either on the cross and through repentance, or in judgment: “For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality” (Colossians 3:25).

6. The gospel

We are able to do these things ultimately only because we have been made alive in Christ through faith in him. “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is” (Colossians 3:1). As the flow of the chapter shows, seeking the things above does not mean retreating to the wilderness to grow wheat and wait until Jesus comes, but to live according to his ethic here and now, putting to death evil desires (vv. 5-9) and putting on love and kindness and humility towards others (vv. 10 – 16) and doing this in the here and now (v. 17), including our vocations (vv. 18 – 4:1), not by retreating into the wilderness.

7. Adorning the gospel

By living all of our vocations for the glory of God and good of others, doing them well and in a way that is pleasing to the Lord, we create a good testimony that supports and demonstrates the truth of the gospel and shines the light of Matthew 5:16 in such a way that some people will become Christians through our witness (that’s the meaning of Ephesians 5:7 – 17, one of the hardest to understand passages in the NT until you read Peter O’Brien’s commentary). “Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our savior” (Titus 2:9-10).

Your work is intrinsically valuable and justified in its own right, simply by virtue of the creation mandate (Genesis 1:28). You do not need to justify your work on the basis of its evangelistic usefulness. At the same time, work does serve as a testimony to the gospel and we should be mindful of that in our work (that’s part of what it means to “walk in wisdom” (Colossians 4:5; cf. Proverbs 11:30).

By doing good work and enjoying it, for the glory of God and good of others, you not only serve your workplace, but, through that, you serve and transform society as well. If dozens and hundreds and thousands and millions of Christians all did their work in this way right where they are at, society would be transformed by the gospel because it is in our vocations that we most effectively carry our faith into the world.

Filed Under: Work

Slaying the Faith-Work Frankenstein's Monster

March 12, 2012 by Matt Perman

My friend Lukas Naugle, who is a principal at Marketplace One, has written an excellent, super informative, well reasoned article summarizing some of the main insights he recently gained from reading a few dozen books on faith and work.

It’s called The Faith-Work Frankenstein’s Monster. Here’s the gist:

Those who haven’t gained a full-orbed view of the integration of faith and business are still the majority, and they come in various shapes and sizes. Here are some of the faith-work Frankenstein’s monsters I’ve met, and how to avoid releasing a monster yourself.

And here’s one of the best parts (among many others):

It’s important to affirm that business activity has intrinsic value in God’s world, not just instrumental value. Unfortunately, many faith leaders seem to focus on the instrumental value of business. The boss, the client, the church, and perhaps even the family often can treat the businessperson like a tool. We love to be useful to people, and our instrumentality is meaningful, but it’s not healthy to be a tool. Tools are manipulated, abused, demeaned, and wear out over time. A vision of mere instrumentality often leads to the erosion of meaning and motivation in a person’s work.

If you recognize yourself in one of the “monsters” he describes at the beginning, don’t fear. Keep reading to gain a well-articulated, biblical correction to many approaches to integrating faith and work that have some elements of truth, but ultimately fall short.

Filed Under: Business, Work

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Next Page »

About

What’s Best Next exists to help you achieve greater impact with your time and energy — and in a gospel-centered way.

We help you do work that changes the world. We believe this is possible when you reflect the gospel in your work. So here you’ll find resources and training to help you lead, create, and get things done. To do work that matters, and do it better — for the glory of God and flourishing of society.

We call it gospel-driven productivity, and it’s the path to finding the deepest possible meaning in your work and the path to greatest effectiveness.

Learn More

About Matt Perman

Matt Perman started What’s Best Next in 2008 as a blog on God-centered productivity. It has now become an organization dedicated to helping you do work that matters.

Matt is the author of What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done and a frequent speaker on leadership and productivity from a gospel-driven perspective. He has led the website teams at Desiring God and Made to Flourish, and is now director of career development at The King’s College NYC. He lives in Manhattan.

Learn more about Matt

Newsletter

Subscribe for exclusive updates, productivity tips, and free resources right in your inbox.

The Book


Get What’s Best Next
Browse the Free Toolkit
See the Reviews and Interviews

The Video Study and Online Course


Get the video study as a DVD from Amazon or take the online course through Zondervan.

The Study Guide


Get the Study Guide.

Other Books

Webinars

Follow

Follow What's Best next on Twitter or Facebook
Follow Matt on Twitter or Facebook

Foundational Posts

3 Questions on Productivity
How to Get Your Email Inbox to Zero Every Day
Productivity is Really About Good Works
Management in Light of the Supremacy of God
The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards in Categories
Business: A Sequel to the Parable of the Good Samaritan
How Do You Love Your Neighbor at Work?

Recent Posts

  • How to Learn Anything…Fast
  • Job Searching During the Coronavirus Economy
  • Ministry Roundtable Discussion on the Pandemic with Challies, Heerema, Cosper, Thacker, and Schumacher
  • Is Calling Some Jobs Essential a Helpful Way of Speaking?
  • An Interview on Coronavirus and Productivity

Sponsors

Useful Group

Posts by Date

Posts by Topic

Search Whatsbestnext.com

Copyright © 2023 - What's Best Next. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us.