A searchable, downloadable PDF of the original review appears below. Jack Charleson is an Elder & Chairman of Evangelism, Bridlewood Presbyterian Church, and Chairman, Mission Ontario, and works as a bank manager in Toronto.
Your Work Matters to God by Doug Sherman and William Hendricks. Colorado Springs: Navpress.
Christians who are employed in the secular world have a tendency to feel “second class citizens” when others are described as being in full-time ministry when employed by a church or a Christian organization. To quote the cover of this book — “From Washington to Wall Street to Main Street, work dominates the landscape of modern life. But unless you can connect what you do all day with what you think God wants you to be doing, you will never find ultimate meaning in either your work or your relationship to God. But how can you make such a connection? It starts with a certainty that Your Work Matters to God.”
Doug Sherman and William Hendricks are president and executive director, respectively, of Career Impact Ministries, a Christian organization helping business and professional people to integrate their faith into their careers. Both are graduates of Dallas Theological Seminary and had been employed in the secular world prior to the founding of the organization by Doug Sherman and his subsequent association with William Hendricks.
The book seems to deal with a complex subject in a meaningful way and addresses many issues including various views of work. The authors endeavour to examine a variety of ways the Christian views work — the need of a biblical view, the secular view, a two-storey view and the mainstream model. As these views are evaluated it is suggested we may be surprised to find the extent to which they have influenced our attitudes about work. God’s view of our work is then examined and one aspect covered is — “Loving God. Loving others. Loving ourselves. This is what God has told us to do. This is what He wants us to concentrate on. And our work, far from being opposed to these commands, is actually one of our most important means of fulfilling them. Work matters to God.”
We rarely think of everyday work as being part of God’s work and feel his work is being carried out only within the church. It is clear this is not so and Your Work Matters to God helps to bring the whole picture into perspective. The book can also help individuals to develop a deeper understanding of just how effective our witness can be – regardless of our calling or where it is exercised.
At the outset, the writers indicate their hope the book will be a handbook which can be a resource for use over the years. In presenting the subject in this way there is a certain distraction for those wishing to read the material in total. Frequent references to other sections of the book tend to be disruptive to reading but would certainly be helpful if only specific sections are being read at one sitting.
This is a book worthy of a place on the shelves of your library.