| Title | : | Immanuel Labor—God’S Presence in Our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1973617137 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781973617136 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 282 |
| Publication | : | Published February 28, 2018 |
Here is a fresh, comprehensive, Christian perspective on work. This is a solid introduction to this critical subject. It is especially geared toward those in need of Gods guidance on finding the right career and how to integrate their faith with the job. It is well-grounded in scripture, contains numerous inspirational quotes from other Christian leaders, offers practical wisdom, and includes many personal illustrations. Topics consist of the value of everyday work, thorns and thistles, the eternal value of work, finding a job that fits, how we are to work, and implications for those in ministry. It includes a helpful index of three hundred scripture references and questions for group discussion or personal reflection. This book will expand your view of how God can use your unique abilities in the workplace and how his presence at work makes all the difference.
Immanuel Labor—God’S Presence in Our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work Reviews
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Immanuel Labor is an excellent book on the subject of work, and a welcome entry into the growing library of books that help us to integrate our faith and work. In Part 1, the author looks at biblical and theological foundations. In this part, he writes that God created people to be His coworkers in expanding His kingdom on earth and that He is present in the work of His children in order to meet the needs of humankind and bring glory to Himself. In Part 2, he builds on the what he discusses in the first part and gets practical. The author is a seminary graduate and his passion for this subject comes across on every page.
A main point he makes is that of God’s presence in the midst of our work. He writes that when he chooses to focus on the fact that God is present at work, it changes the way he performs his tasks, which enables him to fulfill His purposes. God is present whenever and wherever we find ourselves working. If God has called us to do ordinary work, and if it is work which He wants done in the world, then He will indeed be present in it.
I enjoyed the author sharing how he has experienced God’s presence as a government employee over the past thirty years. His desire is “to see ordinary workers who consistently integrate their faith at work experience God’s presence so that it becomes just as natural as experiencing His presence while reading His Word, praying on our knees, worshipping during a church service, or standing on a mountaintop”.
In this thorough treatment of work, the author covers many aspects of work, always backing up his points with scripture. He covers whether there will be work in Heaven. He tells us that man aspects of human work will continue in the New Jerusalem. He covers how a Christian is to work, telling us that we “work in proper relation to and in total dependence upon each member of the Trinity, allowing God to work in us and through us for His glory and for the good of His creation”. He writes that we are to obey our bosses just as we would obey Christ. I appreciated his look at the work of a mother from Proverbs 31 and how the Sabbath is critical to our understanding of a theology of work
The author is well-read on the subject of work, and quotes from several excellent books on the subject. I appreciated his vulnerability and transparency as he wrote about his own job experiences.
He tells us that there are no perfect jobs, that all jobs will have thorns and thistles. God puts his people where they need to be at the right place and time for His glory.
The author tells us that God has placed us right where we need to be and that He has empowered you with all the skills you need to do this work for His purposes and glory. We must shine the light of Christ in dark places and become part of His work to bring common grace to all who are made in His image. -
Cleaning up my reading list today - I finished this book a while back. Here is a link to my review:
https://greenroomblog.org/2018/11/07/... -
Your work has eternal value!
A quick search shows that the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work during their lifetime and the majority are dissatisfied and lacking passion for what they do. Russell Gehrlein explores how Jesus is present in our daily lives and particularly at our work. Whether our work is healing in the medical field, teaching at a school, painting a canvas, making the sales deadline, or punching a clock, Jesus is present and cares about each of these roles. Let's not forget about the jobs without income including stay at home parents as well. Jesus cares about you and particularly the You beside you. Our prayers are often answered not through mysterious divine deliverance, but through people meeting each others needs. Mr. Gehrlein describes that although work may have a temporary or secular feeling day to day, our work has eternal value because people have eternal value. This does not mean work will become easier by inviting and recognizing God's role in our professions because each of us face our own difficulties due to the original sin making work harder than God originally intended it. For anyone finding their career, experiencing difficulty at work, considering a career change, stagnant in the job, or struggling to find value in the ordinary work life, this book is for you. God is present because God himself is a worker "in us, with us, through us, and all around us". (Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose)
