Theology of Work

Economics for Church Leaders: Unemployment Is a Spiritual Problem

“When the only function of work is profit-centered—for personal gain and wealth—versus the recognition of the divine privilege of expressing the qualities and character of God who granted it, work becomes far less satisfying and far less beneficial to the society and the context in which the work is done.” - IFWE

“…flipping a switch does not always have immediate results. Similarly, understanding God’s command for us to use our skills and resources for his glory does not immediately transform our outlook on work.” - IFWE

“Legislating generosity is a way of shifting responsibility for compassion from me personally to everyone else around me. God intended for compassion to be relational not institutional.” - P&D

“The broader faith-and-work movement has long stressed a believer’s royal role in the creation mandate (Gen. 1:28), bringing order and goodness to the world through work.

“Many believe that work is a curse, but the reality is that God made work, and it was part of the very good earth before Adam’s fall from grace. It is only after Adam’s sin that work is cursed” - IFWE

“If we fail to realize our embeddedness in a world of work, one of two things can happen. On the one hand, we may overvalue our jobs, which can lead to an inflated sense of ourselves and our work… Not seeing our embeddedness in a world of work can create a second, opposite problem—an undervaluing of our jobs, which can lead to a deflated sense of ourselves and our work.” - TGC

“What is the significance of work? Dorothy Sayers gave an address on the subject in 1942 titled Why Work? In that address, she stated that in respect of an intelligent carpenter, ‘The very first demand that his religion makes upon him is that he should make good tables.’” - Acton

“It is both fascinating and heartbreaking that most people long for significance and at the same time believe they’re nothing more than the product of arbitrary biological mutations” - IFWE

“God is at work making all things new through Jesus and his work on earth—namely, his death and resurrection.” - TGC