"Steven Garber envisions lives marked by greater coherence between our deepest commitments and our everyday cares." - C.Today
By M.R. Conrad, reposted from Rooted Thinking.
Bathe the children. Cook three square meals. Weed the garden. Repair the fence. Beat back the vines of the encroaching jungle. Unclog the outhouse. Patch the hole in the roof. Help the neighbors. Such was the life of missionary Mary Slessor. Far from the conveniences of her homeland, this Scottish woman found the mundane chores of daily life in Nigeria consuming her time. Is your life similarly filled with repetitive, mind-numbing tasks? Do you feel there is little value in the mundane?
As a child listening to missionary stories, I never saw this side of Mary Slessor. Yes, Slessor saved infants from being murdered. She rescued slaves and battered women. She calmly knitted while armed chiefs raged at one another. Most importantly, she introduced the gospel to areas few missionaries dared to go. However, biographies often leave out the boring parts of everyday life. They must, or you wouldn’t keep reading!
In her correspondence, Slessor candidly reported the mundane tasks that consumed most of her days. Summing up, she wrote, “So, you see, life here, as at home, is just a record of small duties which occupy the time, and task the strength without much to show for it.”1 Years passed, and her work remained a mostly domestic affair with no churches planted in her region and few converts to report.
"For Barrett, the true distinction of Christian work comes down to where our sights are set. 'No matter how exciting any career is, what is it really worth if you don’t make it part of a bigger life project to know, love, and serve the God who made you?' she asks." - Acton
Book Review: "In Calling: Awaken to the Purpose of Your Work, Pierce Brantley tackles the question, How can Christians experience purpose and fulfillment in their jobs? ...research indicates that only about 10 percent of people feel engaged at work, and more than 80 percent of Christian young professionals have no idea how their faith relates to their professional life." - TGC
"...as Christians, we don’t want to become comfortable with idleness (1 Thess. 5:14). We want to make sure that our lives are productive and fruitful." - TGC
"Are you counting down the hours until the weekend? Perhaps you just aren’t seeing how your work is significant to God’s call on your life right now. Or maybe you love what you do, but just need some encouragement in what you are doing." - IFWE
"One Puritan said, 'A Christian should be able to give a good account, not only what is his occupation, but also what he is in his occupation. It is not enough that a Christian have an occupation; but he must mind his occupation as it becomes a Christan.'" - P&D
"To explore that question, the Calvin College Business Department and the Acton Institute co-sponsored the Symposium on Common Grace and Business at Calvin’s campus in Grand Rapids, MI." - IFWE
