Every Good Endeavor by Timothy Keller
Week 7: Chapter 6 — Work Becomes Pointless
Read Chapter 6 of Every Good Endeavor. Key Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:2–3; 2:17–23.
Previewing Week 7 of Every Good Endeavor
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
In this chapter Keller explores the other side of work's corruption — not overwork, but the soul-crushing sense that work is ultimately meaningless, and what the Bible honestly says about that feeling.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Keller draws extensively on Ecclesiastes, calling it the Bible's most honest engagement with work's apparent futility. The Teacher's repeated cry — 'Vanity of vanities! All is vanity' — is not cynicism but realism. What has your own 'Ecclesiastes moment' looked like in your professional life?
2.Keller argues that the secular vision of work as self-fulfillment is ultimately unable to answer the question of meaning, because without God, even successful work cannot provide transcendent significance. Do you find this critique of secular work philosophy convincing? Why or why not?
3.The chapter discusses the problem of injustice in the workplace — the experience of working hard and seeing others receive the credit, of doing the right thing and being penalized for it, of systems that reward the wrong behaviors. How does the biblical framework help you hold those experiences without either naive optimism or bitter cynicism?
a.Have you experienced a specific injustice at work that tested your faith or your motivation to keep working well? How did you respond?
b.What does it mean to 'work for the Lord' (Colossians 3:23) when the human 'masters' over you are unjust or dishonest?