Workers for Your Joy is a joy to read. To see the biblical explanation for elders and leaders in churches is helpful. What a joy it would be to see the elders described actually be what the elders in churches looked like.

I received a digital copy of this book through NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for my opinion.

Our culture grows more cynical toward authority as time goes on, and often it is due to abuse of power. Sadly, within the church we have also seen poor and even abusive leadership. But what vision does God give us for authority that is actually good for us?
Enter Workers For Your Joy. In it, David Mathis walks us through what the biblical qualifications are for the office of pastor/elder. The title and the main idea of the book come from 2 Corinthians 1:24, “Not that we Lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith.” As Mathis says, “The prospect of submitting to a leader drastically changes when you know he isn’t pursuing his own private advantage but genuinely seeking yours, what is best for you, what will give you the deepest and most enduring joy—when he finds his joy in yours rather than apart from or instead of yours.”
I would love for everyone in a position of leadership in the church to read this. I believe it will serve as a reminder of the why and how of leading as God intends.
While this book is primarily about church leadership, because the qualifications for leadership are mostly made up of the “basics” of Christianity, I think every believer could benefit from reading it. I also think it will make us that much more grateful for good leaders when we have the privilege of serving under them.
Thank you to Netgalley and Crossway for the advanced review copy. Workers for Your Joy releases on September 13.