Quote of the Week

"God wants worshipers before workers; indeed the only acceptable workers are those who have learned the lost art of worship"

A.W. Tozer, That Incredible Christian, p. 37

The Art of Work

I'm reading through Linchpin by Seth Godin, the best selling author and marketing guru. He offers a simple but valuable insight on how work is transformed into art when we invest what he calls "emotional labor" into our daily work.

"Art is unique, new, and challenging to the status quo.... Art cannot be merely commerce. It must also be a gift... Art is not limited to art school, or to music or even to stage. Art is any original idea that can be a gift. It takes art to make a mom happy on the first day of nursery school... It takes art to construct the plans for the English Channel. Most of all, art involves labor. Not the labor of lifting a brush, or typing a sentence, but the emotional labor of doing something difficult, taking a risk and extending yourself."

Seth Godin, Linchpin, p.86

There is something wonderful and biblical about the idea that Godin is advocating. I have no reason to believe that Godin is a professing Christian but he is on to something! So much of work even in Christian discourse is viewed in transactional terms - do a specific volume of work for a specific return in monetary value. When we think of our work exclusively in these terms, we miss the essence of what God intended. We lose the soul of God glorifying work - the opportunity to imitate our Creator God through our work.

In Genesis 1, God worked in Creation by creating the Universe ex nihilo (out of nothing). Imitating Him in our work isn't simply about working ethically - it also includes working creatively. While we cannot create ex-nihilo, we are called to use our gifts to put our world into order, to explore new opportunities and nurture existing opportunities.

In other words, we are called to create art through our work.

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Are you an artist through the work you perform? Are there opportunities for you to imitate God by work creatively and investing emotional labor?

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Quote of the Week

"The only way Jesus will save himself, and save his people, is by hanging on that wretched cross, in utter powerlessness. The words the mockers use to hurl insults and condescending sneers actually describe what is bringing about the salvation of the Lord.

The man who is utterly powerless - is powerful."

D.A. Carson, Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus, p. 24

Living with Limitations in Life and in Work

"You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it"

Psalm 139:5-6

I’m a dreamer – I love thinking about what’s possible. I’m inclined to look at life through the windshield, rather than rear view mirror.

People just like me don’t take well to boundaries or limitations, either in life or in work but the reality is that they do exist for each of us. Some limitations are circumstantial or temporary. Other limitations may be physical and more permanent in nature. Some have to do with relationships, either at home or at work. Others pertain to our own makeup – our limitation in talent or ability.

It's interesting that Psalm 139 indicates to us that God may be behind these limitations – it is God who hems us “in behind and before”. It is God who lays His hand on us.

I’m also provoked by David's response – “Such knowledge is too wonderful to me. It is high, I cannot attain it”. He sees God’s limiting hand but he doesn’t fight it … it’s mysterious and puzzling but “wonderful” nonetheless. He is simultaneously humbled and amazed by it.

I don’t often see limitations in life that way – I sometimes struggle to see God’s hand. When I don’t understand, I’m often perplexed instead of amazed. But God is faithful and kind to help me – He’s taught me and continues to teach me – He’s gently leading me to trust Him.

I’d love to hear how you deal with the limitations in your life – at work, at home, in your community. What happens when you don’t have the ability to do what you once could? How do you respond when you realize your dreams won’t be achieved? How do you deal with the harsh reality that you're simple not good enough, not smart enough, not talented enough to accomplish your goals?

How should we respond?

Quote of the Week

"An honorable, God glorifying approach to work does not involve a continual obsession with productivity. We are called not only to be workers, but also to be children, spouses, parents, church members, citizens, and stewards of God's material gifts. God's call to us is to have the right attitude toward each role, resulting in the right priorities."

Anthony Selvaggio, A Proverbs Driven Life, p. 57

Pondering the Prodigal God

I learned something new this week and I thought I'd share it - apparently, the word prodigal doesn't mean what I thought it meant. I've always assumed that prodigal meant "wayward" as in "the prodigal son" but it turns out that prodigal means something else altogether -

prodigal [prod-i-guhl]

- adjective

1. wastefully or recklessly extravagant;

2. giving or yielding profusely;

3. lavishly abundant;

Sometimes when long held perceptions give way to new perspectives, you gain new ways of appreciating old truths. I was first drawn to look into the meaning of the word when the title of a book by Tim Keller (The Prodigal God) caught my attention. Although I haven't yet read the intriguingly titled book, I find myself pondering the ways in which God might be considered "prodigal"

How has God revealed Himself to be "recklessly extravagant"?

Chiefly, I'm thinking of how God exhausted the treasure-house of heaven by sending the True Treasure, Jesus Christ on a rescue mission to redeem a world lost in rebellion.

He exhausted His wealth to make us rich (2 Corinthians 8:9)

He extravagantly loved those who loved Him not (Isaiah 53:3)

He laid aside His cosmic kingship to be the lowliest servant so as to rescue a race of rebels (Philippians 2:5-8)

He suffered immeasurable injustice to set the guilty free. (Luke 23:46-48)

He, the Perfect Righteous One became sin in order to make sinful men, perfectly righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21)

It turns out that the story of the Bible is more about the Prodigal God than the prodigal son. Just thought you should know.