"Work Worth Doing" (Tom Heetderks)

TITLE: Work Worth Doing: Finding God's Direction and Purpose in Your Career
AUTHOR: Tom Heetderks
PUBLISHER: Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2020, (176 pages).

If there is one thing we all do, it will probably be work. Whether it is working at home or in the office, proft or non-profits, small or large, or any kind of activity, we are all part of the economy of work. For we are all recipients of someone else's work. For example, imagining turning on the TV. Some company employees have manufactured the machine. Others have packed it, shipped it, sold it, delivered it, and installed it for us. There is the cable or Internet company needed to provide services to the TV. Then there is the power company to supply electricity to our device and the distribution network. These and many more are needed for all to happen at the push of a remote control button. This is one small illustration of how our work impacts so many others in society. The point of work is not simply to make a living. If we were to look at work from a bigger picture, what we do provides varying levels of essential services in the economy.  Author Tom Heetderks expands on this notion of work to share that work is essentially something worth doing. With conviction, he gives us an acronym: Worship Our Risen King, to remind us that as believers, we work as a means to honour God. Of course, non-believers might feel a little out of place to hear things like that. Not only that, employees might find it hard to work for a boss they don't respect. Heetderks challenges us to list down our top reasons for work and to compare that to this bigger picture. For non-believers, this big picture is about the wider benefit to society. For believers, we serve and work not just for the sake of our neighbour, but for God's kingdom. In that manner, this book should appeal to a wider audience, both believer and unbeliever.


Heetderks points out several things that should make the self-centered or individualistic person sit up and notice. That if one has been working merely for a paycheck, reprioritize perspective and remember that life does not revolve around our needs. If we are just working to make ends meet, re-prioritize and recognize that we don't live on a self-made island. If we are always thinking about our own needs, look around us and see how others have been serving us. He also brings in spiritual wisdom from both past and contemporary authors. Some highlights from the book include:

• What is most important to me about work?
• What do I believe about my work?
• What if I hate what I am doing?
• How to find a great job?

Three Thoughts
First, I like the way the author leads us from the external to the internal. Beginning with questions surrounding the 'what,' he gradually shows us the practical 'why' before ending up with 'who.' This is a helpful strategy to lead us away from "What does work mean for me?" to the bigger question "Who can I help?" or "How can I help my neighbour live better?" I admit that not all work brings immediate significance. We just have to keep on being faithful while trusting that our work will help others in some way at some time. The 'what' draws us to the topic of work. The 'why' provides the motivation. The 'who' connects us to the wider community. As the book progresses, readers would get a sense of how our primary calling to God connects with the meaning of loving our neighbour as ourselves. Work as worship becomes something that is not restricted to Sundays but all days.

Second, I agree with the author that work is more about 'calling' rather than 'career' or 'choosing.' This brings us to the big discussion about what it means to be called and how to differentiate between our choices and God's calling. On the one hand, it sounds different where one is divine while the other is human. Yet, as I ponder about it, it is essentially about spiritual alignment. The reason why we feel conflicted is because we have been out of alignment. Whether it is about our individual needs or spiritual maturity, we all need a move toward this state of faith and trust in God's higher calling. Work is God's higher calling when our passions and God's coheres. If not, we will continue to question or debate God's calling and put our own human choices at the forefront. The author puts quite a lot of emphasis on biblical teaching. For that reason, the book would probably appeal more to believers and those who are more open to the Christian faith. Having said that, it is generally believed that we don't live in our own shells but as part of the wider society. Whether readers view this wider society as divine or human, on a practical level, this principle of serving the needy and our neighbour is widely accepted. Perhaps, that is because of our past connection to Judeo-Christian history.

Finally, the author does a great job in adding the worth into work. Many workers feel routine work can become mundane and boring.  Even in the most exciting job, there will be times where we feel a sense of meaninglessness. For if the writer of Ecclesiastes could even lament the meaninglessness of work, what about us? Thankfully, Heetderks keeps our interest levels up by maintaining relevance in his approach. He even devotes two chapters in the appendices to deal with our unhappiness at work and our search for a great job. These are common struggles in the area of work. I must applaud the author for this practical and much-needed book about work. We all need such a booster and reminder from time to time.

Tom Heetderks has been a Human Resources executive and leader for 30 years. He’s worked at and driven consulting initiatives with some of the most well-known and successful organizations in the world. Tom has a PhD in industrial and organizational psychology and is a devoted husband and a father of three.

Rating: 4.25 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Harvest House Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.