Efficiency-Loving Engineers and our "Inefficient" God

Philip Tan

Keywords: efficiency, waste, God, Christian engineering

Abstract: Efficiency is a hallmark of engineers. Indeed, engineers who follow Jesus likely view their efforts to save time, money, and resources as glorifying to God. After all, surely one way to love my neighbors is to serve them by reducing waste! But does maximizing efficiency always advance God’s kingdom? A survey of scriptural examples—creation, the Exodus, the incarnation, Christ’s miracles, and evangelism—demonstrates that God has often deliberately chosen to work in surprisingly “inefficient” ways. On the other hand, God is never wasteful, but the ratio of useful output to total input in his dealings defies straightforward methods of quantification. Ultimately, Christian engineers need a shift from the pursuit of efficiency to the cultivation of stewardship. A proper view of efficiency will transform the way engineers live out their callings—whether in the classroom, in the workplace, or in everyday life.

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Submission Number: 29