Take It From A High School Student Who Knows

For a turn-around year, get some turn-around ideas. 

According to Gallup's World Poll, 87% of workers around the world are not engaged in their work. 

News flash: Most people don't like their jobs! 

Are you shocked? Probably not. Maybe you're among the 87% yourself! If you are, there's good news for those willing to take the time to understand God's purpose and design for work itself: You don't have to change your job to become engaged in your work. 

That's because we don't find meaning in our work, we bring meaning to our work!

But how?

The answer to that question is why the God's Pleasure At Work course was created.  

Though written for high school students, the God's Pleasure At Work e-course is fitting for adults of all ages. One student wrote: "I learned so much more than I could've imagined...I learned so much personally that I cannot wait to use in the future and share with others. I believe all Christians should read this book and soak in all the goodness just like our class did over the course of this year."  

Take it from a high school student who knows: this course is for you.

John Beckett, Chairman of The Beckett Corporation (the North American market leader in combustion products used in heating and cleaning equipment, found in 50 million US homes), calls God's Pleasure At Work "the finest and most practically helpful publication ever produced on this subject."

We're humbled by Dr. Beckett's endorsement. But decide for yourself! Take a free "test drive" today, right here.

For an independent review, click here. 

If you're among the 87% not engaged in your work, this can be your turn-around year. But to "negotiate the curve," you'll need some turn-around ideas!  

The complete God's Pleasure At Work course comes in a Curriculum Pack with a 180-page e-text, more than 50 video clips, a 48-page full color Participant Guide, a 54-page "extra" called, The Lost Purpose for Learning, plus a step-by-step Facilitator's Guide, if you want to take a group (or your own sons and daughters) through the course.

To purchase, click here. 

This course is worth the effort even if you are engaged in your work. You can always be more engaged!

If you have any questions about this course, or how it might be used in your context, contact Worldview Matters® here.

View the 90-second video below. If it does not play, click https://youtu.be/4CJt_CxbaYo

Posted by Dr. Christian Overman 

Far As The Curse Is Found

Today's post first appeared 8 years ago. It has been my tradition ever since, to post it on the Friday before Christmas.

Photo by Jeff Weese (Flickr: Nativity) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The dynamic Christmas carol Joy To The World, by Isaac Watts, was based largely upon Psalm 98: "Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth, break forth in song...for He is coming to judge the earth, with righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with equity." 

Because of this, some say the song is not about Christ's birth in Bethlehem, but about Christ's second coming, and the future joy which will occur when He comes to set all things finally straight, in that full expression of His Kingship.

While I look forward to the second coming, Joy To The World makes sense to me as a celebration of Christ's first coming, too. While anticipating that full expression of His Kingdom-yet-to-come, we can celebrate His Kingdom-already-here. 

Even prior to Bethlehem, I Chronicles 29:11 declared: "...all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all." Today? Psalm 103:19 says: "The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all." Now? Acts 10:36 puts it in the present tense: "He is Lord of all." 

Christ's Kingdom is not fully expressed on earth right now, that's for sure. There are weeds in His field, which He did not plant (Matthew 13). But the domain over which Christ is King (that is, His "King-domain"), includes both heaven and earth, right now. The whole field is His. The fact that not every human heart has received Him as King doesn't alter the fact that He is.

This is the world's greatest Christmas gift: that Christ came in human form “to make His blessings flow, far as the curse is found.” These blessings are flowing through redeemed people today who are reconciled to God, and reconciling all things to Him, including the things of earth, right now, far as the curse is found.  

So by God's grace, let's occupy until He comes again, by pulling up bramble bushes and planting redwood trees before the second coming arrives, shall we? It's our essential occupation.

Maybe Joy To The World is one of those "both-and" songs, celebrating His first and second comings.

Joy to the Earth! The Savior reigns. Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, repeat the sounding joy! 

Far as the curse is found. 

Viewing Their Work As "Imitators Of God"

George Swinnock, a Puritan pastor (1627-1673) declared, "The pious tradesman will know that his shop as well as his chapel is holy ground." How? Why? When?

Revolutionary approaches to education were developed in the 17th century on the heels of the Reformation, through such early "Noah Websters" as John Comenius (the "Father of Modern Education"), John Alstead, William Ames and Alexander Richardson, who stood on the shoulders of Luther and Calvin. These 17th century schoolmasters wedded the reformational idea of "calling" (or "vocation") with schooling, and changed the course of history. But their revolutionary ideas have now fallen on hard times.  

The wedding of calling with schooling can be seen in the Puritan Circle of Knowledge, as summarized here:

Step #1: God, the Prime Creator, initiates through His creation of all things.

Step #2: Humans discover what God has initiated. This discovery is a big part of what education is about.

Step #3: Humans imitate God by making "secondary creations" out of God's primary creation. This imitation is based upon their discovery and understanding of "the book of God's works," as well as "the book of God's Word." 

Step #4: God is glorified through the imitation of Him in occupations of all kinds, from shoe-making to carpentry.

Imagine employees at The Boeing Company viewing their work as "imitators of God," making beautiful and functional “secondary creations” [airplanes] out of God’s primary creations [metals, carbon, electricity, etc.], for the purpose of engaging with God's laws of "lift," so people may be transported safely from point A to point B. The secondary creations [airplanes] serve the needs of people, and glorify the Prime Creator, bringing glory full circle from God back to God. And in the process, these biblically-minded employees are professing their faith by their work, in "imitating God" through the making of airplanes. It is their profession. 

Have I lost my mind? No. I think I've found it!

Imagine a banker, a lawyer and a businessman all glorifying God by "imitating Him" through serving the financial needs of people, maintaining justice in the world, and providing needed goods and services for the community. The legitimate needs of people are met, God is glorified, and these biblically-minded workers go to the office each day fulfilling the First Commission (Gen. 1:26-28) in professing their faith by their work. They are professionals, in the best sense of the word professional.  

If this isn't culture-transforming, I don't know what is. And if this doesn't bring meaning to education, nothing will. The Circle of Knowledge begs to be be revived. 

Dr. David Scott notes: “The emphasis on use [in the Circle of Knowledge] fit in nicely with the practicality of the Puritan mind, providing a philosophical foundation for the working vocations…The human being as an artisan can follow in the footsteps of the Divine Artist. Through this circular pattern of the created order, humanity can fulfill its cultural mandate (Gen. 1:26-28) and returns glory back to God.”

Read David Scott's full essay, "A Vision of Veritas: What Christian Scholarship Can Learn from the Puritan's 'Technology' of Integrating Truth"  here.

Can Flying Helicopters Be The Lord's Work?

Heli-logging was first introduced in British Columbia.

Photo by Phillip Capper - Flickr: Logging the Town Belt, Wellington 18 April 2005, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15358577

Continued from last week...

A young friend of mine who had recently graduated from Bible school came to visit. When I asked what he enjoyed most about his Bible school experience, he said: “Going into the local town to do street evangelism.”

Wow. It’s rare to find a young man who enjoys street evangelism! 

But when I him asked what profession he wanted to pursue, I received an unexpected reply.

Cocking his head, he looked up at the ceiling and uttered: “Forgive me, Lord.”

Then he turned to me, looked me straight in the eye, and declared: “I want to fly helicopters.”

(Forgive me, Lord?)

His dream was to fly helicopters in logging operations, lifting cut trees from the forest floor, bypassing the need for building roads, and keeping things looking nice.

Yet, this young man obviously felt guilty. Heli-logging was clearly not on his shortlist of “the Lord’s work” occupations.

I asked if he had heard of the First Commission. He was unfamiliar with this term, so we talked about Genesis 1:26-28, where it is written: Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our likeness and image, and let them rule…over all the earth...”

I pointed out how heli-logging fulfills the role God had in mind for human beings. I shared how we can love God and love people by lifting logs from forest floors with helicopters, bringing them to trucks to be hauled to mills, where they can be shaped into lumber for building homes, and other useful things people need.

For the first time in his life, this young man saw how he could fulfill his God-given role as an Earth-Tender, ruling over trees through heli-logging. In this work, he could love God and love people! 

Can flying helicopters be the Lord's work? 

You tell me. 

The lights went on for this young man that day. He looked at me, with face aglow, and declared: "I never thought of that before!" 

We discussed how he could also evangelize loggers.

If the chief end of man is to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever, as the Westminster Catechism says, then the chief role and function of man is to govern well over Planet Earth and all it contains. The two go hand in glove! It's the First Commission. 

Let’s restore it to our schools, homes and churches, before we lose yet another generation to Platonic Dualism.  

The Most Under-Valued, Under-Preached Truth

Who tends Planet Earth?
 (Photo by NASA/Apollo 17 crew, by Harrison Schmitt or Ron Evans. Public domain.)

If someone asked, "What's the purpose of education?,” what would you say?

I'd say: "The purpose of education is to equip the next generation to govern well over this physical, material world.”

Are you shocked?

Not long ago, I was speaking to a group of Christian school teachers, and I posed “the question” to those in the room. But before anyone could reply, I answered my own query. 

You could have heard a pin drop. I paused to let the weight of my answer sink in.

Someone broke the silence by asking, “Would you mind repeating that?”

After repeating it, I asked the group if anyone had told them that before. No one had.

I have asked this question to Christian students, parents and teachers. So far, not a single person has responded by saying, “The purpose of education is to equip the next generation to govern well over this physical, material world.”

Why?

My guess is, the answer is too “earthy” for most Christians’ sensibilities.  

Yet, I contend that not seeing this as the purpose for education is why so many pastors don’t believe in Christian schools, why we lost the “culture war” in this country, and why so many young people are leaving the church. We lost the very meaning and purpose for living--and thus our purpose for learning.    

Yes, education is for strengthening character. Yes, education is for practicing self-government under God. Yes, education is for developing one’s talents, gifts and abilities to their highest potential. Yes, education is for learning “good citizenship.” And it’s for getting a “good job,” too. But the bigger question is: to what end?

I believe the purpose of education must be seen in the context of our assigned role and function on Planet Earth. The role God had in mind for humans is no mystery. He stated it plainly in Genesis 1:26-28, Then God said, "Let us make man in our likeness and image, and let them rule…over all the earth...”

News flash! Humans were created to govern over this physical, material world! We were made to be Earth-Tenders! That's our assigned role, whether Christians or not.

I believe this is the most under-valued, under-preached Truth in all of Scripture. Fulfilling our assigned role well [that is, fulfilling it in harmony with the Creator's purposes and design] brings glory to God, and serves the common good.  

For more, click here.