Book Review: When Work and Family Collide

I've had the chance to read When Work and Family Collide by Andy Stanley.  This is a short book, 133 pages plus the discussion guide, and very easy to read.  But I found myself pausing after each chapter or two to digest the examples and the point Stanley was making.

Here's what the publisher had to say about this book:

Is Your Occupation Also Your Preoccupation?

Let’s face it.  With all the demands of the workplace and all the details of a family it’s only a matter of time before one bumps into the other.  And many of us end up cheating our families when the commitments of both collide.  In this practical book, Andy Stanley will help you...

• establish priorities and boundaries to protect what you value most.
• learn the difference between saying your family is your priority and actually making them your priority.
• discover tested strategies for easing tensions at home and at work.

Watch as this powerful book transforms your life from time-crunching craziness to life-changing success.

Includes a four-week discussion guide

Previously released as Choosing to Cheat

One thing I dearly loved about this book was that Stanley's examples covered a wide variety of "work" situations:  men, women, professionals, the self-employed, pastors, stay-at-home moms, and people with time-consuming hobbies.  It was convicting.  This applies to ME, not just workaholics employed outside of the home. 

A big message boiled down to integrity, that second bullet point in the publisher's description.  Is my family my priority in reality?  Or am I expecting them to judge me based on my intentions?  Don't we all do that?  I expect other people to judge me by my thoughts and motives and intentions.  I judge others by what they actually do.

That was the point I had to stop and think a fair amount, because Stanley uses such vivid examples and word pictures to convey the points he is making.  Points about expecting our families to step in and pick up the slack, or about a lack of communication about what really matters when it comes to actually showing them that they are important.

Obviously, Stanley isn't advocating that we stop doing our jobs and stop providing for our families.  But "cheating" at work doesn't mean that we don't do a good job.  It means that need to be intentional about our decisions regarding when to go above and beyond at work, and when to say no.

This is a book I really think everyone ought to read.  It is practical.  It acknowledges that the choices are not always easy or clear-cut.

Below you can read an excerpt.  But really... go get the book.

When Work and Family Collide by Andy Stanley (Chapter 1 Excerpt)


I believe this so strongly that I am going to give one away.


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Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for this review.