iBookPoints, Life@Work - 3: Charlie's Five Feelings

Charlie lives in all of us. We are all struggling

to live with the same tension as Charlie.

Life@Work - page 5

Note: direct quotes from book in italics.

Five common feelings:

Feeling #1 - I am tired of juggling two worlds. It takes imagination and determination to connect Sunday mornings' sermon to Tuesday's day at work. They talk different languages...Different parts of me live in each one.

No wonder so many leave the church, the relevance doesn't "seem" to be there. Even for those that connect well, much of that goes away once kids leave home and start there own families.

Feeling #2 - I need my work to have more meaning. Does "my work really matter to God?

I want my life to count. Who doesn't? I don't want it to be a waste....Sometimes it feels as if I am fighting a lost cause....I am investing forty, sixty, sometimes even as much as eighty hours a week of my prime time and energy, but for what?...I know one thing for sure: doing something you feel doesn't matter definitely isn't fun.

Feeling #3 - I need a clear picture of what being a Christian on the job looks like. How do I practice being a Christian at work? It has to be more than prayer, a lunch Bible study and "turning another cheek."

If I don't know what being a Christian looks like at work, how can I expect those around me to know what being a Christian is from my work?...how will others see Him through my work?

Feeling #4 - I need a faith that makes a difference in my life and my job. Frankly, my work life needs all the help it can get. If my faith can't help, then what hope do I have?

Feeling #5 - I feel I am not receiving any help to bring my two worlds together. Common sense tells me I'm not alone, but it sure seems that way most of the time. Are there other Christians struggling with these two worlds? Am I making too much of this? Am I wrong? When I do hear about work from church, it is usually couched around working in the church. But that is not where I work every day....Like Charlie, I feel as if I have dual personality disorder.

I remember almost walking out of the church for good when the pastor said each and every one of us needed to be doing something for the "church" even if it was coming in early on Sunday mornings to water the plants.

How do I bridge the gulf between these two significant parts of my life?


To that end....


You can purchase Life@Work by clicking here 

iBookPoints, Life@Work -1: Charlie Love vs Charlie Money

In "Life@Work," Maxwell, Addington and Graves tell the story about Charlie. Charlie's a successful businessman and Christian. He's recently found out that his employees refer to him as either Charlie Love or Charlie Money. This depends upon "who" shows up at work.

Addington and Graves are consultants who help business people integrate biblical wisdom and business excellence. They tell the story, apparently true, about Charlie asking one of them, in a group setting, how he should handle his dilemma. Before they could answer, Mike, another Christian business man said...

"Charlie, I know exactly what you need to do. Charlie Love

needs to drag Charlie Money down to the basement and kill

him. If not that, then chain him up  and never let him out.

That's the only way you're going to survive!"

The authors tell how deathly quiet the room became until all eyes turned to Addington/Graves who said..

"Charlie, I could not disagree more with Mike."

John C. Maxwell, Stephen R. Graves and Thomas G. Addington have written one of the most important books to ever breach this subject. It's well written, thoughtfully laid-out and touches real-life matters such as skill, calling, serving, character and church.

I'll give some BookPoints here over the next few weeks as I explore the Life@Work subject in my weekly Christian business networking group.

Pray for me!