DAY 25 CALLING

DAY 25 CALLING

How can I serve God in my work?

Our primary "calling" is always to Christ. Os Guinness in The Call says, "First and foremost we are called to Someone (God), not to something (such as motherhood, politics, or teaching) or to somewhere (such as the inner city or Outer Mongolia)" (p. 31). However, we who are called to Christ are also "called" vocationally. God's plan for us includes our work.

There is a common idea in Christian circles that people cannot fully serve God unless they go into some kind of "full-time" Christian work -- as a missionary, a minister or a church worker. The root of this thinking is the long-held view that there is a sharp divide between the "sacred" and the "secular" -- the sacred being higher, more noble, more worthy, and the secular lower, less noble and less worthy. But this is not the view held by Jesus and His followers. A. W. Tozer, in The Pursuit of God, addresses the issue this way:

One of the greatest hindrances to the Christian's internal peace is the common habit of dividing our lives into two areas -- the sacred and the secular. But this state of affairs is wholly unnecessary ... It is a creature of misunderstanding. The sacred-secular antithesis has no foundation in the New Testament.

Removal of this divide in our thinking has profound implications for our daily work. The reality is that God calls people to a huge variety of honorable endeavors -- from educators to engineers, from sculptors to scientists, from farmers to factory workers, from medical technicians to moms at home with their children. If we receive such a vocational call, we can respond with the same sense of purpose and intensity as to any other call. The challenge is to keep our activities, whether designing a bridge or singing in the church choir, in harmony with God's design, rather than in opposition to that design. We can ask, "Are my motives right? Are my methods right? If Christ were standing right beside me as I operate this machine or paint this picture, would I do anything differently?"

After I became a Christian, I wrestled with the tension between the sacred and the secular. Most other believers I knew were employed in church-related work. My interests and background seemed to point toward a career in engineering and business, yet I had the nagging sense such pursuits were less "worthy." How could I find God's highest for my work? I didn't want to be a "second-class" citizen.

After an extended time of searching for God's will, I realized He indeed wanted to guide me. I didn't hear an audible voice, but I sensed Him saying, "John, I've called you to business. Do it with all your heart." As you might imagine, this clarity was tremendously liberating. It freed me to wholeheartedly pursue business as my calling in life -- a journey I've now pursued for over four decades.

Do you have clarity on your vocational call? I believe the Lord wants to give you confidence in your career choices. Here are some indicators that may help you. Ask yourself: What am I good at? What do I really enjoy? What do my education and experiences point to? Where do I sense God's pleasure?

You may see patterns in your life that provide clear direction -- as though an Invisible Hand has been at work, guiding you, even before you fully committed to follow Him.

You will spend the majority of your waking hours at work. How important that you respond to a call. Life is more than just doing a job and earning a paycheck. God calls you and gives purpose to your life -- right where you are, right in the workplace.

Key Scripture: "Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men" (Colossians 3:23).
Key Thought: I can be an "ordained plumber."

Rev. Alfa SG Moambi
Apostle & Missionary