After Joseph told Pharaoh what his dreams meant, and how to deal with the coming famine, Pharaoh decided to put Joseph in charge of the 14 year project of collecting food during the good years, and distributing it during the famine. From his position of power and authority, Pharaoh might have commanded Joseph to do this job as a slave, reporting to one of his officials. But I think Pharaoh had more insight than this. He saw talent in Joseph... Read more
Although God does not give most people a direct, individual, unmistakable call to a particular job or profession, God does give guidance to people in less dramatic forms, including Bible study, prayer, Christian community and individual reflection. Developing a general attentiveness to God’s guidance in life is beyond the scope of this article. But over the next three weeks we will look at three major considerations for discerning God’s vocational guidance: The needs of the world Your skills and gifts Your truest... Read more
Guest Contributor: Al Erisman Just as there is no ominous music, gathering of clouds, or any other sign to announce very bad events in our lives (except in the movies), so a good day begins as any other. Joseph was going about his day as he had for almost 5,000 previous days in prison. It had been two years since the chief cupbearer had returned to his position, forgetting about Joseph. Perhaps Joseph had settled back into the pattern of... Read more
When Christians ask about “calling” or vocation, we usually mean, “Is God calling me to a specific job or profession?” This is a significant question. The average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over his/her lifetime. Of course we long to assign meaning and purpose to those hours. And since our work matters to God, it makes sense to ask what work he wants us to do. In the Bible, God does indeed call people—some people, at least—to specific... Read more
Guest Contributor: Al Erisman Have you ever been falsely accused or unjustly treated at work? It all seems wrong, and there’s nothing you can do about it. To make matters worse, unfair accusations or situations can drag on, with no sign of exoneration or recompense. Sometimes in the middle of difficult circumstances we can see God teaching us something we need to learn. More often, however, we only see how an event shapes our lives much later. Joseph (Genesis 37-50)... Read more
Many Christians have the impression that church workers—especially evangelists, missionaries, pastors, priests, ministers and the like—have a higher calling than other workers. While there is little in the Bible to support this impression, by the Middle Ages, “religious” life—as a monk or nun—was widely considered holier than ordinary life. Regrettably, this distortion remains influential in churches of all traditions, even though the doctrine of virtually every church today affirms the equal value of the work of lay people. In the... Read more
Guest Contributor: Al Erisman Have you ever had a hard day at work? And when you are able to stop the blame game, you recognize that much of the grief you face is of your own making? Joseph, son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham had such a day. We can look at his story for insight in dealing with our own challenges. But first we need to set the stage for Joseph’s hard day at work. Dreaming... Read more
This article is part of a symposium, Spiritual Disciplines for Work, with the Catholic, Evangelical and Faith and Work Channels. Guest Contributor: Randy Kilgore Wise Christians turn to the Bible to discover how God wants His Creation tended. Many of us use devotional books as a part of our daily Bible study. What a joy it is to read what Oswald Chambers and others have to say about a Scripture passage. But don’t make the mistake of considering this as... Read more
This Wednesday is Administrative Professionals Day, a day to recognize and celebrate the work of secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, executive assistants and other administrative professionals. While it is one of the most celebrated workplace observances, the day is also met with mixed feelings. I can understand the ambivalence. As a past administrative assistant and receptionist, I’ve done everything from taking out trash and cleaning toilets to organizing large events. There were days when I enjoyed the satisfaction of simple tasks... Read more
Joanna Gaines and her husband Chip are the talent behind HGTV’s “Fixer Upper.” Together, they help families renovate their homes and create spaces they can love. In this video, Joanna shares how God led her to the work she does now. Calling and Your Heart’s Desires God can speak to us about our calling through our deepest desires. But how do we let God lead us in those desires? A few things strike us from Joanna’s story. 1. Our truest desires—those desires that... Read more
Theology of Work Project
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