Discovering God in the Workplace
LICC Associate Grant Smith reviews God Is At Work by Ken Eldred
We may be ready to subscribe to the concept that 'God is at Work', but is God at our Work? Our response to this is a little more obscure. If I am a pastor, then certainly the answer has to be yes. If I am some other paid Church Worker, the answer should be yes. If I am a nurse or a teacher, then the answer has plenty of potential to be yes. If I am in business, then the answer is, I will tithe my profits. In the UK, we are in danger of separating a calling to ministry from a calling to business. Can we, however, explain why? If God gives to someone the ability to pastor a church, and to another the ability to run a business, why should one be any more for God than the other? Ken Eldred, who has a wealth of personal experience in business, explains why we need to look at the above question with fresh eyes. As he sees it, the world is constantly changing, and we need to regularly reflect on how we make Jesus relevant to the communities we serve. We have a wealth of energetic business people, both currently active and retired, who are valued church members because they financially support the church. They are not asked to put other business skills to work. Ken makes clear that we have to think again how to do mission, using all the gifts and abilities of those called by God. For the task of making Jesus known, Ken argues that we must dispense with a hierarchical scale that places pastors at the top and business at the bottom. In God Is At Work, Ken explains the concept of "Kingdom Business." Apart from the importance of making a profit in business, there are other important goals to be achieved if we are believers. For instance, in developing countries, "Kingdom Business" also means creating jobs and advancing the local church.
Kingdom Business also means creating jobs and advancing the local church.
He cites one example of a "Kingdom Business" where 60 percent of its 1,000 employees have an active Christian faith, and have a potentially huge impact in a host country where two percent claim to know Christ. I particularly appreciated the book's appendix that cites other subject references written from a biblical perspective.You probably won't like everything you read in God Is At Work - I didn't. But I suggest you read it with an open mind, and listen to what God has to say to you.
Grant Smith
LICC Associate Workplace Speaker
Grant is a Quantity Surveyor with business experience in sub-Saharan Africa.
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