Why is this an important topic?
Like many Christians today, my 34 years of professional career was spent with little understanding of the relationship between my work and my Christian faith. I spent all my life in the Church yet had never heard a sermon, read a book or attended a class on work and faith. I started investigating faith in the workplace and realized that I was not alone. Most churches have not filled this void, primarily due to their lack of knowledge or prioritization. My passion for work and faith propelled me into enrolling at a seminary to study graduate-level theology. I wanted to fuse theological concepts with practical workplace applications. I then spent 18 months researching the theology of work. This book was the result of my journey and my first book.
What is this book attempting to accomplish?
- To bridge the gap of theological understanding of the relevancy of Christian faith in the workplace
- To show that work and faith has been an issue within the Christian Church since the earliest of time and views have changed over time
- To give Christian readers a practical theological model to apply in their workplace
- To highlight the theological model with 7 steps to integrate their faith and work
- To be a resource for Church professionals
How does it reach that goal?
- Work is a major emphasis in Scripture, starting with Genesis through the early Christian Church
- Theologians have written extensively on faith and work. The Christian Church had conflicting views over time on the theology of work and faith
- I developed a three-fold theological model based on self-actualization, community and the new creation
- I developed 7 practical steps to integrate faith and work into the lives of working Christians
Why Trading with God was written?
The motivation to write this book stems from the disconnection of Christian Millennial’s spiritual and working life. Most college-educated Millennials spend the majority of their waking hours building their professional careers and get frustrated with the meaning of work as they grind through the long hours and hectic commutes. When attending church, the disconnection widens as most churches do not address the issue of faith and work. It is as though spirituality only resides within a church on Sunday. In fact, the disconnection of religion and the workplace is one of the reasons for the decline in American Christianity.
What will I learn from reading this book?
- Faith does not end when you exit the church. It is a 24/7 religion and includes your work
- God created you in God’s image to self-actualize in your work by using your individual gifts, to uphold the community as Christ taught and to follow the Holy Spirit in establishing God’s kingdom on earth
- You can integrate your faith into your work in 7 steps:
- Honor the Sabbath
- Master Competence
- Manage God’s Providence
- Exhibit Christlike Character
- Practice Servant Leadership
- Balance Power
- Be Missional
