The Grand Narrative
People are often rational beings with a system of beliefs that guide their decision-
making processes, actions, and how they perceive and interact with the world.
Such views can be summarized as worldviews, either biblical or secular. Through
his book Creation Regained, Wolters delves into how people use the scriptural,
secular, or dualist approaches to life in the contemporary world (Wolters, 2005).
The research area, "employer and employee relationship: problem-solving and
stability in the work environment," will be explored to discuss using Wolter's
biblical worldview approach to real-life occurrences.
The author effectively describes and explains the grand narrative about God's plan
and design for the world. He describes the grand narrative as the theory that
offers a comprehensive view or account of the biblical worldview of creation and
God's plan for humanity. Therefore, Wolter's (2005) account of the grand narrative
explains the biblical perception and worldview of the world as a public record of
man's history and a story that illustrates God's love for His creation. For example,
on page 53, he mentions that the world has increasingly become efficiency-
oriented as there has been an exponential increase in technologies and company
expectations from its workforce (Wolters, 2005). As a result, God's creations,
including employees, have become abused, misused, and exploited for worldly
gains (Ansah et al., 2018). Hence, Wolter's argument can be applied to the
employer-employee relationship and problem-solving in the work environment.
First, it should be understood that work is a secular activity that is a product of sin,
as man was intended to be in worship with God. The scripture in Ecclesiastes
12:13-14 summarizes man's responsibility as fearing God and keeping His
commandments (King James Bible, 2008). Therefore, since God intended to be in
fellowship with man and not make man work, it can be argued that the work
environment should not be viewed to be more important than God. Thus, in a
world where work is worshiped and employees are expected to be consistently
obsequious of their employers, Wolters' book reminds the public to return to the
initial design and plan of living. The work environment should be a place where
individuals interact and help each other find solutions to world problems and
challenges instead of a place of terror where employees are enslaved to their
unfulfilling jobs and quarterly targets. Hence, the book is a breath of fresh air to a
world that has lost its track and purpose as it has been marred with workplace
conflicts and poor employer-employee relationships.
The research interest presented in this discussion is to illustrate that there is a
grand narrative of God's plan on how humans should work in their corresponding
work environments. I will suggest that God did not intend for conflicts to arise in
the workplace, nor that there be confrontations between the employer and
employees. On page 58, Wolters describes that people are often tempted to think
that God is responsible for the ills and woes that befall people in the world
(Wolters, 2005). On the contrary, the author discusses that it is not God's intention
for people to experience challenges in their lives, and it is as a result of sin that
pain and hardships exist. Therefore, the biblical perspective of God is crucial as it
helps employers and employees better understand their fellow human beings in
the work environment and push to make life easier for one another. Further, in
understanding, God's intention, job satisfaction, workplace happiness, and
productivity in the workplace can significantly improve with a significant reduction
in conflicts. Hence, I believe applying the biblical worldview in the work
environment is vital to understanding how to increase work productivity and reduce
the organization's attrition rate.
To also understand God's purpose for humanity is to find answers to workplace
challenges and problems. Problems such as employee exploitation, poor employer-
employee relations, diversity, toxic leadership, and job unhappiness can be solved
by looking at the biblical grand narrative presented in scripture. It helps individuals
understand that God is a loving father and that human beings were not designed
to worship work but to live in harmony. Thus, to understand the employer-
employee relationship, problem-solving, and stability in the work environment, it is
essential to understand the purpose of God's creation of human beings.
References
Ansah, R. H., Osei, J., Sorooshian, S., & Aikhuele, D. O. (2018). Importance of
employer-employee relationship towards the growth of a business. Calitatea,
19(166), 42-49.
King James Bible. (2008). Oxford University Press. (Original work published 1769).
Wolters, A. M. (2005). Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational
Worldview (Second). William B. Eerdmans Pub. ISBN: 9780802829696.
