Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Diagnostic Questions Regarding Work

On p. 181 of his new book on work, Tim Keller asks the following diagnostic question, "Are you thinking about your work through the lenses of a Christian worldview?" and then Keller asks:

1) What's the story line of the culture in which I live and the field where I work? Who are the protagonists and antagonists?

2) What are the underlying assumptions about meaning, morality, origin, and destiny?

3) What are the idols? The hopes? The fears?

4) How does my particular profession retell this story line, and what part does the profession itself play in the story?

5) What parts of the dominant worldviews are basically in line with the gospel, so that I can agree with and align with them?

6) What parts of the dominant worldviews are irresolvable without Christ? Where, in other words, must I challenge my culture? How can Christ complete the story in a different way?

7) How do these stories affect both the form and the content of my work personally? How can I work not just with excellence but also with Christian distinctiveness in my work?

8) What opportunities are there in my profession for (a) serving individual people, (b) serving society at large, (c) serving my field of work, (d) modeling competence and excellence, and (e) witnessing to Christ?

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