1: “We know there is something wrong with us, but we can’t admit it or identify it,” Tim Keller writes in Every Good Endeavor.
“There is a deep restlessness, which can take various forms—guilt and striving to prove ourselves, rebellion and the need to assert our independence, compliance and the need to please others,” he observes.
“Something is wrong, and we may know the effects, but we fall short … continue reading
1: Idealism says, “Through my work I am going to change things, make a difference, accomplish something new, bring justice to the world,” Timothy Keller writes in Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work.
Cynicism says, “Nothing really changes. Don’t get your hopes up. Do what it takes to make a living. Don’t let yourself care too much. Get out of it whatever you can,” he notes.… continue reading
1: “One of the most poignant expressions of the way human work can feel so profoundly meaningless comes from a very ancient document, the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes,” Timothy Keller writes in Every Good Endeavor.
“So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind,” says the Philosopher in Ecclesiastes … continue reading
1: J.R.R. Tolkien was at an impasse.
He was laboring over the writing of The Lord of the Rings. “The project required creating at least the rudiments of several imaginary languages and cultures as well as thousands of years of various national histories—all in order to give the narrative the necessary depth and realism that Tolkien believed was crucial for the tale to be compelling,” Timothy Keller writes in … continue reading
1: Not according to Martin Luther, the German priest, theologian, and leader of the Protestant Reformation.
Back in the middle ages, “the only way to be called by God into service was as a monk, priest, or nun,” writes Timothy Keller in Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work. “They were called ‘the spiritual estate.'”
Everyone else? Their work was seen as worldly and a “demeaning … continue reading
How to connect our work to a higher purpose
1: In the first chapter of the Bible, God tells us: “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:28).
This command is often called the “cultural mandate,” writes Timothy Keller asks in E… continue reading
“You can praise the Lord by peeling a spud, if you peel it to perfection.” Eric Liddell‘s missionary father in Chariots of Fire
1: February 24, 1989. Captain David Cronin was piloting United Airlines Flight 811 from Honolulu to New Zealand.
“The 747 had climbed to twenty-two thousand feet when the forward cargo door of the jet blew open, tearing a huge hole in the side of the plane,” … continue reading
Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.
Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations. On Friday, I share something about myself or what we are working on at PCI.
This week, we’ve been exploring ideas from Tim Keller in his book Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work.
At PCI, we hire people of many different … continue reading
1: “What will make me the most money and give me the most status?”
This question likely runs through our conscious or unconscious mind when selecting a career or deciding on a job.
This thinking leads doctors to practice medicine “not primarily to relieve suffering, but to make a living—the cure of the patient is something that happens on the way,” author Dorothy Sayers observes. “Lawyers accept briefs not because … continue reading
1: “If God came into the world, what would he be like?” minister and author Phillip Jensen asks.
“For the ancient Greeks, he might have been a philosopher-king,” Phillip suggests. “The ancient Romans might have looked for a just and noble statesman.”
The Bible provides a different answer, Timothy Keller writes in Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work. “In Genesis we see God as a gardener, … continue reading
