403. Redefining Our Work

When the new year comes, we join for 10 Days EMP (Early Morning Prayer). I preach from a different book every year, and this year’s book is “Every Good Endeavour” by Tim Keller. This book is about understanding “work” from a biblical perspective. It seeks to answer three questions: Why we desire to work, why it is so difficult to work, and how we can redeem work through the Gospel.

The reason for choosing this book was simple. The number of our members who are now in the workforce has increased considerably recently. When the excitement of getting the first full-time job dwindles in the first few months of work, it is natural to face the reality of the nature of work: What was once fulfilling no longer feels the same. Looking for another job might feel like the answer, and every so often it relieves stress in the short term. But it does not solve the ultimate issue, which is “misunderstanding” about work itself.

Through the book, we will get a more in-depth understanding of what work is from God’s creation story, why work “feeling” burdensome and tiresome mainly comes from internal issues not external, and what framework we need to thrive in our work, instead of enduring it.

When we are not clear about the purpose of our work, even our best work can feel deflating, rather than fulfilling. It is because we don’t know what we are ultimately looking for from our work and what it cannot provide.

The wrestling with our work will likely continue even after reading the book, but I believe it can at least help make our work more bearable and manageable until our new understanding eventually bears fruit. The same work can feel vastly different based on our perspective and attitude. I hope this book can serve as a new starting point in our members’ career decisions.