I Am What I Do

You meet someone for the first time, and after the introductions have been made the inevitable question follows: “What do you do?”

We live in an age when our sense of self is deeply shaped by our work—the activity we spend hours doing each week, generally an activity we’ve chosen to suit our own interests and situation. Whether consciously or subconsciously, many of us are captured by the mantra “I am what I do”.

In his years working as a journalist and then as a mentor and spiritual adviser to urban professionals, Andrew Laird has seen the dangers of “I am what I do” from every angle. In this clear and compelling book, Andrew tackles the issue of work and identity head-on, showing the ways in which this mantra enslaves us.

But there’s hope: Andrew also shows us how the good news about Jesus liberates us from this flawed way of thinking, changing our lives and bringing a fresh new perspective to our work.

• Introduction: The lure and lie of ‘I am what I do’
• 1. The burden of ‘I am what I do’
• 2. Gripped by ‘I am what I do’
• 3. Freedom from ‘I am what I do’
• 4. Freedom from envy and pride
• 5. Freedom to rest, love and grow
• 6. Freedom to be vulnerable and in deep relationships
• 7. A freedom to be shared
• Afterword: Well done, good and faithful servant

Andrew Laird studied at Sydney Missionary and Bible College (SMBC), having previously worked as a radio newsreader and reporter in Sydney. He moved to Melbourne in 2014 to work with City Bible Forum, with a particular focus on discipling Christians in their life and witness in their daily work. He is the presenter of the Life@Work podcast, has lectured in Biblical Theology of Work at Melbourne’s Ridley College, and is also the author of Under Pressure: How the Gospel helps us handle the pressures of work. He is married to Carly, and they live in Melbourne with their three school-aged children.