TITLE:
Grace at Work: Redeeming the Grind and the Glory of Your Job
AUTHOR: Bryan Chapell
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL:
Crossway, 2022, (240 pages).
Our work matters to God. In fact, the kinds of work we do are also opportunities for us to glorify God and to make His Glory known. The end of a Church service should mark the beginning of our service out in the world. Yet, how many believers actually know that or practice that? Sadly, very few. Worship is connected to our vocation. Our vocation is an act of worship. It is not limited to simply a Sunday worship service. Just like the popular song "Consuming Fire" by Tim Hughes, worship must be something more than Sunday worship. Author Bryan Chapell helps us by giving us a resource to enable us to see our jobs as opportunities to worship God. With many of us intensely immersed in our respective jobs and responsibilities, we need to learn how to take our faith to work. We need to adopt a grace mindset when performing our jobs. He looks at grace at work from ten angles. He begins with
dignity and the dignity of the work set out for us. Our work has inherent meaning and significance, and our participation should enhance that dignity as well. Just like how God had created the world and called it good, we need to look at the world we live in and acknowledge its inherent goodness. We are also reminded not to base our own personal worth on the work we do. With sin having tarnished the world, work has also been tarnished and it is via God's redemptive work that has made all things new.
Through
purposeful living and thoughtfulness, we can rearm ourselves with the purposes of God to reflect Christ's purpose. We learn about the significance of work when we see how we can make a difference. When we are driven by gratitude, we will be creative to find ways to make our work meaningful. At the same time, knowing the purpose of our work also means rejecting those careers that are detrimental to the well-being of people, such as gambling. Then there is
integrity which needs to be the way we approach our work. Using the example of the North Korean prisoner, Bae, Chapell shows us how even in the most difficult situations, one can still work with integrity even when it means suffering for Christ. Work also entails our views about
money. He highlights three purposes of money to help us provide for mercy, family, and ministry. Then there is the subject of
success, something that the world constantly craves. This needs to be connected to our goals. The world deems success as primarily profiting the self. For Christians, success is primarily about honouring and glorifying God. This is a key difference to remember. Along with success, we need to be careful of the presence of pride. This calls for humility. On
humility, we are reminded that the attitude we bring to our work must be clothed with the humility of Christ. We can have all the success in the world but without humility, we end up like King Nebuchadnezzar who was humbled when he failed to acknowledge the true giver of all success. From a lowly point of humility, we can then look toward the
glory of God. We are reminded that we have been "made for glory," to reflect the character of God. We can tell our co-workers that we work not just for money but for the good of mankind and for the glory of God. Chapell gives several examples of how that could happen for battery manufacturers, politicians, salespersons, medical professionals, moms, and even bricklayers. Then there is the subject of
evil to remind us of the challenges of working in this world. For Chapell, this chapter is the hardest to write because one is forced to face the realities of this world. When we acknowledge the presence of evil, we will not be too distressed when things do not work out as planned. This calls for
Leadership, which is a mindset that puts the interest of others above self. In desiring to make work meaningful to God, it is also a way for us to enable others also to honour God with their good works. In a world where people seek power in order to get ahead, grace in leadership is about servanthood. It is about loving our neighbors. It is about reflecting God's leadership in all we think, say, and do. On
balance, we learn about the importance of maintaining a balanced life. Many families have struggled with spending time appropriately at work as well as at home. Taking time to work and to refrain from work is essentially a step of faith. Finally, Chapell highlights the importance of
witnessing as a way to manifest our calling to be salt and light of the world.
My Thoughts
This book gives us multiple angles to understand what it means to exercise grace at work. From a personal calling to a wider circle of engaging others, we can all do our part in building bridges between God and the world at large. Chapell gives us ten wonderful descriptions of grace at the workplace. Using biblical references and real-life examples, readers can gain a better sense of what it means to live for God in the workplace. I am happy to see that the author begins with the inner self. This is indeed where it all should begin. By helping us to think through and reflect on what it means to see God's world through the angles of dignity, purpose, and integrity, we learn that before we can do meaningful work, we need to understand our meaningful self. We need to know our calling before rushing into any kind of work. Otherwise, we would quickly run out of steam wondering why we are doing what we are doing. By helping us to strengthen the inner core, we are better able to move forward to the world of work.
Why should anyone read this book? The reason is that work is such a major part of our lives. Regardless of whether it is paid or unpaid, work is ordained by God. We do not need to be in Full-Time ministry before we can serve God well. We are called to do all the good we can whatever we do, wherever we are, and howsoever we can. Being mindful of God's calling is something we all need to train our minds toward. This book does not just equip us to do that. It inspires us. At the same time, Chapell does not shy away from dealing with the fallen world. The best intentions sometimes do not lead to the right kinds of results we want. This is to be expected especially in a fallen world where evil is present. We need God's grace and the more challenges we encounter in life, the more we appreciate the significance of grace. This is quite paradoxical. Truth is often paradoxical, as shown by the Lord Jesus when he was teaching the beatitudes.
I recommend this book for all readers, especially those who are fresh out of school. I remember when I graduated, the book "
Your Work Matters to God" by Doug Sherman and William Hendricks was particularly helpful. Since then, many more books have been published to encourage people to exercise faith in the marketplace. This book is a worthy resource to be added to the library.
Bryan Chapell is a bestselling author of many books, including Christ-Centered Preaching and Holiness by Grace.
He is pastor emeritus of the historic Grace Presbyterian Church in
Peoria, Illinois; president emeritus of Covenant Theological Seminary;
and president of Unlimited Grace Media (unlimitedgrace.com), which
broadcasts daily messages of gospel hope in many nations.
Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
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