The Fourth Frontier: Exploring the New World of Work

"How did we ever get to the place where we thought that to be good Christians, we had to quit our jobs and become full-time `ministers,' sail for foreign shores to serve as a missionary, or run a homeless shelter?" ask The Fourth Frontier authors Stephen R. Graves and Thomas G. Addington. "All those assignments are good," they continue. "But those jobs have no higher value than any other assignment God gives to his people."Graves and Addington, co-founders of the Cornerstone Group, authored The Fourth Frontier: Exploring the New Role of Work as a road map to help us navigate a landscape of fragmented lives, and to find a focus on our destination. According to the authors, we try to separate our lives into compartments and not worry what one has to do with another. Subsequently, we live very unbalanced lives. They call work the fourth frontier, and insist that biblical truth calls for us to integrate it with the first three frontiers -- family, government and church."As we grow more prosperous from our work," they write, "we are growing more alienated from our friends, our families and our God." We use church as a place of retreat, a safe place to withdraw from the world. We want to break life into segments we think we can handle one at a time -- family, work, church, leisure, volunteerism, school, community."In addition to the worlds of family, government and church, God has created this fourth frontier," they say. And Jesus is the "whole-life solution to the problem of fragmentation ... the antidote to the fragmented life."They lament that work is usually considered a negative thing, and they rebut that fallacy with the thesis of The Fourth Frontier: "God has ordained work. It was his idea." The volume cites sound biblical principles to support that thesis, pointing out that more than half of Jesus' parables incorporate a theology of work for his followers.Graves and Addington dismiss the claim of some who say man didn't have to work until after Adam's fall. It's simple. They quote Genesis 2:15: "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." Because God's original plan called for man to work, the authors believe we'll work in heaven. Finally, they point out that the Word never refers to a time at which one should quit work -- i.e., retire.To help us integrate work, faith and all of life, The Fourth Frontier offers several practical strategies. First, the authors suggest we check our attitude toward work. To help do that, they offer a series of questions including: Do you feel passionate about your work? Is your work significant for God's Kingdom?They also spend some ink debunking four common myths about work: (1) Work is a four-letter word, (2) Work is enemy territory, (3) Work is our "salvation," and (4) Work is our last priority.Addington and Graves believe that work, the marketplace, is currently the "greatest opportunity for kingdom influence the world has ever known." And, they say that as we d

The Fourth Frontier is a phenomenal book with an equally phenomenal premise. The authors challenge readers to re-think our view of the workplace as being compartmentalized from all the other facets of our lives and instead, to view it as a vital, integral part of everything else we are and do. This book powerfully and adequately addresses the issues each of us face everyday on the job. Each chapter begins with a uncanny illustration which opens your mind to the principles the authors are attempting to communicate. And, unlike many other business books, this one is good all the way to the end. Every company in America ought to make this required reading for all of their employees. It's outstanding and will be one of the most enjoyable reads you'll have this year!

Stephen Grave and Tom Addington have done a wonderful job of throwing down the gauntlet to born-again Christians to be the salt and light the business world so direly needs. This is a "what to do" book, not a "how to". But nonetheless, the book's message is a fresh message for a tired world. I am a small business owner who openly witnesses his faith in Jesus. But The Fourth Frontier woke me up that I'm not the "very, very" person God wants me to be, e.g. very good in business and equally very knowledgeable about the Bible.

Addington and Graves hit the mark with their exploration of the faith and work intersection. This is a must read for believers in business and/or those wishing to connect their spirituality with where they spend the majority of their time- the marketplace. Whether you are a Fortune 50 CEO or a recently graduated college student, the message and content contained in the Fourth Frontier will catapult you to a new level of understanding and integration regarding your Life@Work. I recommend this book highly.

This is an excellent read for those seeking to find God in their work. Excellent blend of history, theology, and the practicalities of integrating your work with the rest of your life. Great depth, yet fun to read.