LEARN
Does My Work Really Matter to the Kingdom?
“How can anyone remain interested in a religion which
—DOROTHY SAYERS
seems to have no concern with nine-tenths of his life?”
What is the difference between a job and a vocation? During your twenties there is an opportunity and a freedom to explore your gifts and passions. Often it takes time for men and women to hit their stride in their vocational calling. Be patient with yourself and enjoy the process. Frederick Buechner says that “the place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” As you explore your gifts and passions God will also be giving you unique burdens for the needs of the world. If every believer answered the call of God on their lives, the world would reflect God’s robust joy. In the process, he would bring about his beautiful redemption to our broken world!
The first step of discovering vocational calling is seeing how your story fits into the greater story of redemption. When we understand the story of God, we have a context by which we can understand the role of vocation as it relates to revealing Jesus to the world. His redemption goes far beyond personal salvation. God uses vocational callings to bring redemption to whole industries. The Wall Street banker no longer seeks money and power for herself, but rather fuels an economy that impacts for good, the most marginalized in our society. The fashion designer creates clothes worn to enhance the dignity and God-given beauty of people. Jon Tyson says, “It’s about showing the world what the world is like when Jesus Is Lord of it.”
Work, by design, contributes to the flourishing of the common good.
Tom Nelson says “Your vocational work is your specific and invaluable contribution to God’s ongoing creation and an essential aspect of God’s Great Commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.”
Ask God to help you explore more about how He has uniquely made you. Pray that you can hear His voice as He reveals a bit more about how we can steward our gifts, passions, and burdens.