Taking Your Faith to Work

Paperback, 201 pages

Subtitle: How Christians Can Succeed in Secular Careers



About the Title: The workplace can be a challenging environment for Christians. The pressures of today's hyper-competitive global marketplace can lead to behaviors at work that cause believers to wonder if they can succeed in secular careers and still be faithful Christians. Taking Your Faith to Work not only answers this question with a resounding "YES," it makes the point that in the long run Christians succeed because of their faith, not in spite of it.

Taking Your Faith to Work presents ten success strategies that are Scripturally-based; strategies that Christians can use to build a winning career without losing their faith. These Biblical strategies are: be a leader, put your Christian work ethic to work, build your career on a foundation of integrity, be a loyal team player, become an effective team builder and team leader, be an effective communicator, be a good listener, think critically and creatively, be the antidote to political correctness, and persevere in standing up to temptation and adversity.

Review by Dr. Archie P. Jones:

One of the greatest needs of Christ's Kingdom in the United States and around the world is the ability and inclination of Christians to succeed in their so-called secular occupations and careers.  Since Christians have long ago surrendered society and culture to Christ's enemies, the workplace is dominated by "secular" ideas.  Consequently, Christians feel out of place and threatened by certain secularist beliefs and practices, and all too often suppose that they cannot succeed in the workplace without conforming to the ungodly beliefs and practices which have become commonplace.  The workplace needs to be recaptured for Christ: for the good of Christians in the workplace, for the good of all those in the workplace, for the good of society, and for the good of the church.

In Taking Your Faith to Work: How Christians Can Succeed in the Secular Workplace, David L. Goetsch, who has succeeded in the workplace--he is the author of more than 60 books on personal success, professional development, economic development, and organizational excellence; a nationally-known speaker on management, leadership, supervision, and global competitiveness; and a college vice-president and teacher--tells Christians what they need to hear.  He tells them why they should succeed in their secular careers; how they can succeed and still glorify God in and through their life's work; and how they can glorify God more fully by succeeding.

Basically, Christians can succeed by persevering in applying biblical principles to every phase of their work and to the organization for which they work.  They can do so by resisting the temptations which emerge in the workplace--particularly the temptation to cut ethical corners--by persevering in adversity; manifesting a good work ethic; being a person of integrity; being a loyal team player; being an effective team builder and team leader; being an effective communicator, which entails being a good listener; thinking critically and creatively (the two are different!); opposing the neo-Marxist thought-control strategy of political correctness; making true diversity an asset; and by being a good leader.  The author's explanations of each of these aspects of success in the workplace are clear, illustrated by well-chosen examples--the example of Col. George "Bud" Day, the Vietnam War POW hero is unforgettable--and solidly grounded on biblical principles.

Dr. Goetsch gives Christians important principles from God's Word which they (we!) need to apply to their (our!) work and workplaces. He makes it clear that a sound testimony of one's character and life at work provides the best foundation for conversations that can lead to evangelism.  As Martin Luther noted--and as many Christians need to hear--an honest shoemaker who excels at his work can give as powerful a testimony to Christ as a great preacher can.  Moreover, success in one's work can entail increased income and, in time, increased wealth.  As the example of Job shows, God is not opposed to His people being wealthy!  And the increased income and wealth of successful Christians can be used to glorify Christ by greater works of charity and mercy, and by greater giving to Christ's ministries.

Taking Your Faith to Work is a book for all Christians.  It should be read, studied, and applied by parents, by high school children, by college students and graduates, and by those already in the workplace--employers as well as employees.  Pastors should use it for counseling and for ministering to those in their flock who are in the workplace, will be entering the workplace, or may be forced by the ungodly, unconstitutional economic policies of our current civil government to enter the workplace.  This is a book to assimilate and apply to one's own life work.  It is a book to give to others in your church, in your workplace, and in the circle of influence that God has given you--and to discuss the principles it teaches with them to increase the probability of their benefiting from it.  This is an important tool by means of which we can help ourselves, our families, and, greatest of all, Christ's kingdom.

Copyright: 2008