Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work

by Timothy J. Keller

worldview.

wrong within us.

wrong among us.

All people are living out some mental world-story that gives their lives meaning.

The gospel, however, teaches that the meaning of life is to love God and love our neighbor, and that the operating principle is servanthood.

“If God has made man for fellowship with Himself, and if man has turned away and broken his relationship to God, then only God can forgive man and restore the relationship.”

fundamentally relational.

We were made for a relationship with God, we lost our relationship with God through sin against him, and we can be brought back into that relationship through his salvation and grace.

of failing to keep creation and fall distinct.

We will be demonizing something that isn’t bad enough to explain the mess we are in; and we will be idolizing something that isn’t powerful enough to get us out of it.

The Christian story line, or worldview, is: creation (plan), fall (problem), redemption and restoration (solution):

There is no aspect of the world affected by sin more or less than any other.

There is no part of reality for which there is no hope.

what the world should be, how it had gone wrong, and the hope for the future—

The attitude about school for many of the kids was “why bother.”

Bill found that the gospel gave him a more comprehensive understanding of the problems facing the schools and a hope for redemption that incorporated some of the best practices of his field but did not idolize them.

He recognized the students’ innate need to be known but held accountable and created an environment where no one could be lost in the cracks.

an idol is a good thing that we make into an ultimate thing.

The reason is that sin runs through the heart of every worker and the culture of every enterprise.

The gospel is more globally pessimistic about human nature than virtually any other view of things.

forgiveness and service are more important than saving face and revenge,

What opportunities are there in my profession for (a) serving individual people, (b) serving society at large, (c) serving my field of work, (d) modeling competence and excellence, and (e) witnessing to Christ?

we are told the angels themselves never tire of looking into the gospel to see new wonders (1 Peter 1:10–12).

work, our labor has its orientation toward our neighbor, and we must ask how it can be done excellently and for his or her good.

in the Christian story, the antagonist is not non-Christians but the reality of sin,

which

lies within us as well as w...

One reason

a series of discrete acts of noncompliance with God’s regulations.

seeking environments where you are less likely to do these sinful actions or to encounter...

Sin can essent...

removed from your life through separation ...

For without an understanding of grace we will believe we must (and can) earn our salvation.

view of sin that is easier to conquer through conscious effort.

Another cause of disengagement is

a thin, or intellectualistic, view of common grace.

This means having a track record of saying what we mean and doing what we say, following through on commitments every time, whether formal or informal, and being transparent and fair-minded.

justice, courage, temperance, and prudence—

faith, hope, and love—

Christian teaching raised the definition of the idea of love to a new level, to include loving one’s enemies and forgiving persecutors.

Or is wealth creation a means to serve the end goal of loving others?

At the end of your life, will you wish that you had plunged more of your time, passion, and skills into work environments and work products that helped people to give and receive more love?

First, we must not merely believe in God, but know him personally.

Second, we must know ourselves.

Third, we learn wisdom through experience.

The answer is through the Holy Spirit,

He says all work should be done “as if you were serving the Lord”:

just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him

He tells both employees and employers to change their audience.

Christians, you see, have been set free to enjoy working.