The Heavenly Good of Earthly Work
by Darrell Cosden (published by Baker Academic, May 2006).
Will a regular day’s work this week have any ultimate value after Jesus returns? Does our work on earth build anything that might last into eternity? What if our daily work here and now is the primary way in which Christians participate in God’s renewal of creation? In short, does our earthly work have any heavenly significance?
Darrell Cosden lays out a very clear theology of work and a powerful critique of the sacred secular divide. At just under 150 pages, it’s a readable, thought provoking book that seeks to understand how our work today connects with life after Jesus returns.
Whilst the central question of what happens to our work after we die remains a mystery that can’t be answered definitively, this book sets out a thorough Biblical analysis of the purpose of work, identifying several important signposts to how things might turn out in the end. Part I clears the ground and lays a foundation for a theologically robust understanding of work that fully and equally integrates our spiritual and physical lives, thereby offering hope to the majority of Christians who devote so much of themselves to “ordinary” work. Building on this, in Part II, Cosden reflects theologically on several Biblical passages to explain why Christians can, and indeed should, believe in “the heavenly good of earthly work”. In the final chapters, he explores how ordinary working believers can live “first-class” Christian lives, full of meaning and purpose. He explores what redemptive, spiritually liberated work might look like and shows how being “heavenly minded” in this way can be good for both this world and the next.
Although it has not been reprinted since 2006, copies are still available on line – it’s worth getting hold of one before they go! A really worthwhile read.