a christian approach to work-life balance

8/13/2019 A Christian Approach to Work-Life Balance

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A Christian Approach

toWork-Life Balance


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Work-Life Balance

A graceful balance between two equal factors?


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Is there no Life at Work?

Work is as much an integral part of our lives aseverything else we o!

Work belongs to our calling"ministry"mission

#ee last week!!!

$ur Christian faith unerpins everythingwe o%life an work!

Life is more like a number of activities thatcompete for our attention


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A collection of competing emans


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Which one o I fee ne&t???

'rayer

Work

(amily

#leep

A collection of competing emans


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)ogbert on Work"Life Balance


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'oor WLB is not *niversal

+elatively moern phenomenon 'articularly afflicts certain professions an

certain types of corporate workers

,any workers are spare this an can happilywork har but regular hours

#easons in life% *nemployment #ickness #ingleness"(amily raining +etirement


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Why is moern work so hungry?

Long hours culture

Irregular hours

Business travel

Long commutes

Blurre bounaries

Labour market fle&ibility


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Why is moern work so hungry?

Long hours culture

Irregular hours

Business travel

Long commutes

Blurre bounaries

Labour market fle&ibility he curse of the Blackberry

.ive Blackberry the +aspberry/


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Biblical Balance 012

We are not mae to work constantly

$bserve the #abbath ay3 to keep it holy3 as the L$+) your .o commaneyou! #i& ays you shall labour an o all your work3 but the seventh ay is a

#abbath to the L$+) your .o! $n it you shall not o any work3 you or yourson or your aughter or your male servant or your female servant3 or your o&or your onkey or any of your livestock3 or the so4ourner who is within yourgates3 that your male servant an your female servant may rest as well as

you! 5ou shall remember that you were a slave in the lan of 6gypt3 an theL$+) your .o brought you out from there with a mighty han an an

outstretche arm! herefore the L$+) your .o commane you to keep the

#abbath ay!

0)euteronomy 7%18-172

Better is a hanful of quietness than two hans full of toil an a striving afterwin!

06cclesiastes 9%:2


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Biblical Balance 082

We are mae to work har

.o to the ant3 $ sluggar; consier her ways3 an be wise!Without having any chief3 officer3 or ruler3

she prepares her brea in summer an gathers her foo in harvest!


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nowing the 6nemy/ 012

Long-hours culture 0peer pressure2

+omans 18%1-8

(ear


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nowing the 6nemy/ 082

)esire for personal success ,ark E%9-:

(inancial pressure

,atthew :%1- .ree

1 imothy :%D

6scape from other responsibilities 6n4oyment/


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A Christian Fiewpoint

1! Contentment

8! Consecration


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1! Contentment

he Bible has a lot to say about contentment

Contentment brings into line what we desirean what we have

Contentment is the frien of goo work-lifebalance

1! Contentment


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Contentment Illustrate

1! Contentment


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$ur work canGt eliver contentment

Again3 I saw vanity uner the sun% one person who has no other3either son or brother3 yet there is no en to all his toil3 an his eyesare never satisfie with riches3 so that he never asks3 H(or whom

am I toiling an epriving myself of pleasure? his also is vanityan an unhappy business!

06cclesiastes 9%-E2

All the toil of man is for his mouth3 yet his appetite is not satisfie!06cclesiastes :%2

1! Contentment


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$nly our relationship with .ocan truly satisfy

,y soul will be satisfie as with fat an rich foo3an my mouth will praise you with 4oyful lips3

when I remember you upon my be3

an meitate on you in the watches of the night; 0'salm :%7-:2

5ou open your han;you satisfy the esire of every living thing!

0'salm 197%1:2

=ow there is great gain in goliness with contentment3 for we broughtnothing into the worl3 an we cannot take anything out of the worl!

But if we have foo an clothing3 with these we will be content!01 imothy :%:-E2

1! Contentment


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Contentment an WLB

Lack of contentment can lea to turning to our work for money3 meaning3

purpose3 ientity3 significance

therefore results in poor work-life balance

arises from iolatry

shows that we are not truly trusting >esus

Contentment is the antiote to

prie3 fear3 gree3 an&iety3 ungoly ambition3 peerpressure an many other enemies of WLB

Come to me3 all who labour an are heavy laen3 an I will give you rest!0,atthew 11%8E-8D2


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8! Consecration

)efinition% to set apart as sacre3 sanctify3eicate!

$ur work is part of our worship every bit as

much as anything else we o! We nee to offer"consecrate our work to .o

)iagnostic% o you pray for your work?

I appeal to you therefore3 brothers3 by the mercies of .o3 to present yourboies as a living sacrifice3 holy an acceptable to .o3 which is your

spiritual worship! )o not be conforme to this worl3 but be transformeby the renewal of your min!!!

0+omans 18%1-82

8! Consecration


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Consecrating our work as worship

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes3but the L$+) weighs the spirit!

Commit your work to the L$+)3an your plans will be establishe!

0'roverbs 1:%8-2

#laves3 obey in everything those who are your earthly masters3 notby way of eye-service3 as people-pleasers3 but with sincerity of

heart3 fearing the Lor! Whatever you o3 work heartily3 as for theLor an not for men3 knowing that from the Lor you will receivethe inheritance as your rewar! 5ou are serving the Lor Christ!

0Colossians %88-892

8! Consecration


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#cenarios

Continually ask3 H


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#ome 'ersonal $bservations

)aily routine

#witching off the phone

#unays

+eeeming the commute

+eeeming travel 'rayer pointers

Builing goo habits!!!

8! Consecration


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A ,ore +aical ,ove!!!

A test of fle&ible working!

he Cornhill raining Course

wo years part time 08 ays per week2

o stuy the Bible an Bible eaching

But not an escape from the workplace/

8! Consecration


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Work-Life Balance

he same principle applies in allof life/

We nee to ask the same question ofeverything we o% HWill it glorify .o

#houl I move house?

#houl I marry? Whom shoul I marry?

#houl I go to the meeting at church?

#houl I watch this television programme? 6tc!3 etc!3 etc!

#o3 whether you eat or rink3 or whatever you o3 o all to the glory of .o!

01 Corinthians 1@%12


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+esponses

houghts3 e&periences an reflections on work-life balance!

What are your struggles with WLB?

What are your strategies?


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#ummary

A specifically Christian work-life balance isapproache through cultivating

1! Contentment

Bring your esires an circumstances into alignment (in your ientity3 security an purpose in .o alone

8! Consecration

he wholeof your life is to be live to the glory of .o

H5ou are serving the Lor Christ

a christian approach to work-life balance

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