Life@work: Marketplace Success for People of Faith

I just finished reading John Maxwell's book Life@Work. Maxwell writes about what has been called workplace or marketplace ministry. This idea has been around for a few years prior to Maxwell's book (published in 2005) and written about by folks like Os Hillman. The idea is that we spend most of our waking hours at work. It is an area where we should be "salt and light." However, too often we hesitate to blend our work life with our faith life. Maxwell looks at four areas: Skill, Calling, Serving and Character. Essentially, he shows through Scripture that our workplace skill is enhanced by God, that we can be "called to the workplace," that serving others is what Jesus models for us all, and that by modeling character we can influence the character of the workplace. For me the most interesting section was about calling. I know others who struggle with this, and wonder what God's call is for their life, and what his plan is for them. Maxwell outlines different types of calling and provides guidelines to help readers understand whether or not they are following God's call. Maxwell also challenges the church to help equip Christians for workplace ministry. He calls for a paradigm shift from a "traditional church" to a "work-life" church that is outward focused rather than inward focused. The Scripture that says we cannot serve God and Mammon is often misunderstood. Other authors have addressed this cleanly. Essentially, it does not mean that you cannot mix your faith life with your work life. I find that actually counter to Jesus' teachings about being a light to the world. What it means is you cannot put Mammon above God. Keeping God from the workplace means you are putting Mammon in charge in the workplace, doesn't it? I've enjoyed several of Maxwell's books on leadership development. He often uses the lives of Biblical characters as well as stories about real people to illustrate his points. I recommend this book for those who are seeking how to make a difference in their workplace.

John Maxwell has written a number of outstanding books on leadership and personal improvement. In Life@Work: Marketplace Success for People of Faith (with co-authors Stephen R. Graves and Thomas G. Addington), he tackles the question of where the matter of your personal faith fits in to what you do at work. It's a book that should make every Christian think hard about their personal "calling"... Contents: Reforging Our Fragmented Life@Work; Working in Paradise Section 1 - Skill@Work: Skill Is Important to God; God Is Important to Skill; Discovering Your Greatness Section 2 - Calling@Work: Called by Whom, and for What?; Called By Name; Called by Desire; Called by a Path; Which Calling Plan Am I On? Section 3 - Serving@Work: Serving Nine to Five; It's Not About Me; Everyday Samaritan Section 4 - Character@Work: The Art of Etching Character; No Overnight Delivery on Character; Constructing a Moral Warehouse Conclusion - The Church@Work Notes; About the Authors For far too long, the matters of your work life and personal calling have been treated as separate and distinct entities. Unless you're a pastor or monk, the issue of serving God with your gifts in the workplace isn't something that gets the attention it should. The authors examine a number of Scripture passages in light of serving in the secular workplace. The conclusion is that you can indeed be called to serve in your daily job without being secluded in a monastery away from society. The book will challenge you to exercise your skills to the highest level possible...

This book, along with Doug Sherman's book, "Your Work Matters to God," are the two essential books for any Christian wanting to get a right understanding of the theology of work. They are superbly written with a lot of examples and questions to ponder, and I can't recommend both books enough!

This book teaches whatever your career may be, you are to give your best. I like the phrase, "Being all of who I am and the best of who I can be at church, home, and work." We are to give our best, after all, our identity comes from Christ. Continually work with positive attitudes, show kindness in our actions, language etc. Take pride in the work you are assigned. Thank God for the job. We are blessed to have a job. We should strive daily to show love everywhere we go, in everything we do, and everything we say. When we have a personal relationship with God our career & ministry have meaning!

Thank God I did not focus on the review from Publishers Weekly, otherwise I would have missed a great book. This book is about work and not about the sayings of Jesus. The book takes you back to the stories from the Old Testament showing how work life should and should not be. Maxwell often does not give the entire story, but just enough about the biblical situation to apply it to your work life. He explains how your God-given "skill" can be enhanced by God, to have more than a career (rat race). He shows that even your work life can be pleasing to God. Maxwell explains "As Christians, we know our work has purpose because we are serving a God whose purpose is bigger than us...Our work and life are part of His bigger plan (which) supplies an inner joy and satisfaction that can come from nothing else." Maxwell explains why we work and to listen to God about your profession. Listening to God has to be experienced and is not something that can be described practically as Publisher's Weekly wants. This should be required reading for any Christian seeking a job or dissatisfied with their job and any Christian in college. This book should be called the Purpose Driven Working Life.