Every Good Endeavour (Part 1)

What did you want to be when you "grew up"? I never really had a fixed ambition, and even now, I can't say I do. I have some sense of what I'm good at and might like to focus on, but I can't say I'm 100% sure (who can?).

Abraham Maslow, the guy who came up with the hierarchy of needs, said, "It isn't normal to know what we want. It is a rare and difficult psychological achievement." Well, glad to know I'm "normal". I am definitely in the midst of that, and know friends who are also working out what they want. It probably is a lifelong process – figuring out each step of career, family, personal development and interests, and more.

While going through this, I picked out "Every Good Endeavour" from my brother's shelf. Author Timothy Keller writes about the significance of work, the place of our work in God's plan, and helps us discover a little more about our motivations.

Here are excerpts and key points I got from the book. About 70% of it are actual quotes while the rest are summaries (sorry I can't differentiate which is which as I was just making notes for myself at that time). Hope it sparks some thoughts for you too!

Work was there from the beginning in Genesis. Work has dignity because it is something that God does and because we do it in God's place, as His representatives.  

Work is as much a basic human need as food, beauty, rest, friendship, prayer, and sexuality; it is not simply medicine but food for our soul. 

Work – to serve God and our neighbour. How, with my existing abilities, can I be of greatest service to other people, knowing what I do of God's will and of human need? 

The first way to be sure you are serving God in your work is to be competent.  

"Whatever you do, do it well." – Ecclesiastes 9:10 

See the process of career selection not so much as an identity marker, but a consideration of gifting and passions to contribute to the world.  

Work reveals our idols. Idolatry has power over our actions because it has power over our hearts.  

Any worldview consists of posing and answering three questions: How are things supposed to be? What is the main problem with things as they are? What is the solution and how can it be realised? The Christian storyline to this is: The whole world is good. The whole world is fallen. The whole world is going to be redeemed.  

Christians' disengagement from popular culture usually carries over into dualism at work – a separating wall between sacred and secular. It leads us to overtly do things in His name. We need to integrate faith and work. 

Instead of Christian superiority, we need to understand that God can work through whomever He wants (He gives common grace – grace for all). Think about gifts and abilities that everyone has – Christians don't necessarily have it better. 

More quotes coming in another post soon.