Many of us struggle with how to live out our faith in relation to our vocation. We think those in ministry have it easier because they’re in ministry all day and it’s part of their job. What a perfect combination of being compensated for doing God’s work and making a difference. Those in ministry think how they would like to be more in touch with the “secular” world in order to be more relatable and relevant. As they say, the grass is always greener on the other side.
What’s the difference?
The issue here is not to exchange one for the other. God has called each of us to a particular field of work for a reason. He has gifted us with the necessary talents and gifts to accomplish what needs to be done. What we need to do is identify the differences between a job, a career, and a calling.
A job is just an exchange of work for pay, benefits and perhaps some social perks. It’s mainly about earning a paycheck and it’s typically a way people afford to do the things they love. A career is what you do for yourself. Although career professionals also working for a paycheck they are more focused on advancement in the workplace. people focused on a career tend to have a long-term vision for their professional future, set goals and enjoy a healthy competition with colleagues. People that follow a calling seek a deep connection between their work and who they are as a person. This means their work goes beyond the paycheck and don’t consider it a career in self-focused sense.
Matthew 28:19 reminds us that we all have a calling. This means that no matter if you’re in a job or working on a career, we must all go and make disciples. What we must do is seek to align our job or career with this calling in order to live our our fullest potential where God has called us to be. Sometimes He will align our vocation with the calling but should always align our calling with our vocation. In addition, we must constantly evaluate ourselves to make sure we’re in line with our calling.
Encouragement:
We are all called into ministry by our Lord Jesus Christ. He’s our boss.
Challenge:
How will you live out your faith at work today, tomorrow…?
