Make Work Matter

In Make Work Matter, Dr. Michaela O’Donnell offers us a new way to think about our work in a changing world. For those of us feeling stuck or seeking renewal in our work, she gives a pathway forward. She artfully synthesizes cultural trends, anecdotes, theology, and her own research to help us think well about our work.To make the most of Make Work Matter, the reader should lean into “the entrepreneurial way” O’Donnell prescribes in the book. Each chapter concludes with exercises that enable both reflection and praxis to facilitate this journey.O’Donnell can encourage readers to follow “the entrepreneurial way” she describes in the book because she has done it herself, not only in her professional life but also in writing this book. To those familiar with Christian thought on the intersection of faith and work, they will see O’Donnell taking risks on the page. She offers a new definition of calling and pushes us to think carefully about some of the limits of Reformation theology on faith and work and how it should be applied today.It’s these risks and the creative approach to faith and work that emerged from them that make this book so refreshing. I anticipate that this book will have a long “shelf” life alongside other prominent faith-and-work books such as Tim Keller’s Every Good Endeavor, Gordon Smith’s Courage and Calling, and Amy Sherman’s Kingdom Calling.

As someone who helps others navigate career challenges, common questions I hear relate to calling - what it means to be "called" or how to discern where God is leading you. Michaela O'Donnell's new book tackles these questions with biblical wisdom, practical tools, and relevant insight to our rapidly changing work culture. Her insight on how to respond to economic, technological, and cultural changes felt fresh and impactful. I can't recommend the book enough.

Make Work Matter is moving, practical, and motivational. If you feel stuck with no clear path forward or you want to feel liberated to be creative and take risks in this new world of work, this book is your guide. As you read, you will feel seen and encouraged. This is a book of stories and hard-won wisdom about the new world of work. Michaela will meet you in what she describes as your “holy wrestling,” and you will finish this book more confident, more capable, and more courageous to take next steps in your work journey.

This book has shifted the paradigm for me regarding how we can think about and act on our relationship with our work. It explores meaning making in a way that has helped me break free from some of the unrealistic expectations set for me early on in life about how work functions in our lives, and led me into freer, more creative ways of approaching work. This book is a game changer and one I'll return to over and over!

An insightful read, just what I needed to get back into a positive mindset and feel fulfilled in my worklife. Highly reccomend!

Michaela O'Donnell is the rare combination of an academic practitioner who provides useful step-by-step guidance for how to create meaning and purpose in one's daily work, in a style that is a genuine joy to read. Using stories from real life, O'Donnell shows that the entrepreneurial way is not only for those who start big companies, but for anyone who is navigating the ever-changing world of work. Make Work Matter is a gift for those at the beginning of their careers, for those whose jobs are changing, for the entrepreneur starting a new venture, and for anyone asking questions about how their faith and their work can illuminate one another.

First of all, I should say that this book was written by someone who is now my boss, so you'd be right to worry that I'm rather biased. However, months before Michaela became my boss, I was asked to read Make Work Matter and, if possible, write and endorsement. I read the book and loved it. I wrote the following endorsement:"Make Work Matter is surprising in many ways. Unlike so many other books on work, it is based, not just on the writer’s solid convictions, but also on research into the working lives of real people. Yet the book is also filled with astute theological insights that are presented as if from a good friend seeking wisdom rather than from an esteemed professor with all the answers. Michaela generously opens up her own life to us, inviting us into a shared process of discovery and vocational discernment. Make Work Matter is perfect for folks in the early stages of figuring out their work lives. But, unexpectedly, it also speaks powerfully to older readers who are wondering about God’s callings in the third third of life."If you’re in a place of vocational transition – like so many in today’s world – this book is perfect for you. But I’d encourage you also to buy this book as a gift for friends, children, or grandchildren. I know they’ll appreciate it.

Michaela O'Donnell has written a practical and supportive guide for anyone feeling disillusioned with their work and/or what we were led to believe work would be like once we finally "arrived" there. As I read the book, I found myself nodding in agreement, feeling understood, and wanting to give her a big hug for tackling the issues of work and faith and calling in this way with lots of relatable stories. The exercises in the book are worth the extra time to stop reading and find your way through to a clearer understanding of where you want to go, who you will become, and how you'll get there. I highly recommend this book to anyone wrestling with calling or wondering if you're hearing God right. It's an excellent, thoughtful read.