Life@Work

I just finished reading John Maxwell's book Life@Work. Maxwell writes about what has been called workplace or marketplace ministry. This idea has been around for a few years prior to Maxwell's book (published in 2005) and written about by folks like Os Hillman. The idea is that we spend most of our waking hours at work. It is an area where we should be "salt and light." However, too often we hesitate to blend our work life with our faith life.

Maxwell looks at four areas: Skill, Calling, Serving and Character. Essentially, he shows through Scripture that our workplace skill is enhanced by God, that we can be "called to the workplace," that serving others is what Jesus models for us all, and that by modeling character we can influence the character of the workplace.

For me the most interesting section was about calling. I know others who struggle with this, and wonder what God's call is for their life, and what his plan is for them. Maxwell outlines different types of calling and provides guidelines to help readers understand whether or not they are following God's call.

Maxwell also challenges the church to help equip Christians for workplace ministry. He calls for a paradigm shift from a "traditional church" to a "work-life" church that is outward focused rather than inward focused.

I've enjoyed several of Maxwell's books on leadership development. He often uses the lives of Biblical characters as well as stories about real people to illustrate his points. I recommend this book for those who are seeking how to make a difference in their workplace.