Christian vocation is not about what you do, but who you are; it's
not a destination, but a journey. It is more than a job, or even a
career. Cornelius Plantinga Jr. states that “A Christian's main
vocation is to become a prime citizen of the kingdom of God” and
defines a “prime citizen” as one who “passionately yearns for
the kingdom.” (p.108, Plantinga, 2002) He further describes a prime
citizen as one who deeply loves God and the things of God, relishes
God's Word, and rejoices in Christ; someone who hungers and works for
justice, fights cruelty, wants to “enroll in God's project as if it
were her own.” (p.108) This means that a “prime citizen” of the
kingdom serves, is not one who simply serves out of obligation, but
someone who seeks God's heart and serves out of an internal desire
to see God's will done on earth. Plantinga states that if one has
been elected to follow Jesus, he or she has been elected to serve in
the kingdom of God. What does this look like and how can we
practically seek to uncover the details of our own vocation? To
expand upon these ideas, I will review the roots of vocation,
consider the Christian perspective of vocation, and share my
experience in discerning my own vocation.
Vocation comes from the Latin “voca” which means “voice calling” or simply, “calling.” (Sherman) Previous to Martin Luther, “vocation” was used in a limited to refer specifically to those who were “called” to join the clergy; Thomas Aquinas and other theologians had the view that work is useful only to provide necessities, which elevated those living a monastic life as recipients of a higher calling (drawing his conclusion from Luke 10:28-32, the story of Mary and Martha). (Setran, 2011) Luther is credited with restoring this term to be used in a less narrow way; Luther stated “every occupation has its own honor before God, as well as its own requirements and duties.” (pp. 395-396, Kleinhans, 2005) According to Luther, the “secular” world belongs to God as well and “all human work becomes a means to participate in God's creating and sustaining activity on earth.” (p.396, Kleinhans, 2005) Taking this a step further, Luther asserts that vocation refers is much more than a line of work, but encompasses a wide variety of “stations” throughout a person's life. (Schultze, 2005)
First of all, let's consider the limited and elusive understanding
of vocation or calling that many hold today. In today's world, the
term “vocation” or “calling” has once again become a term
that is often limited to a religious profession; “calling” is
often considered to mean a call to a religious occupation and
“vocation” is equated to a paid occupation. (Setran, 2011)
Problems arise in both cases. Both understandings can undermine a
person's understanding of what the Lord is calling him or her to do.
First, when a calling to a religious occupation is seen as more Holy
than an occupation in the marketplace, then it is often assumed that
the “spiritual” work is the responsibility of those with
religious occupations; as a result “laity are spectators, critics,
and receivers of pastoral care, free to go about their business
because the pastor is taking care of the business of the kingdom.”
(p. 348, Setran, 2011) This is not Biblical. Ephesians 4:11-12 says
“Christ himself gave the apostles, the
prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,
to equip his people for works of
service” - this means that the job of “religious” professionals
is to give the “non-religious” professionals the tools they need
to serve effectively in God's kingdom. (NIV) In his article, “Getting
a Life: Vocational Discernment in the Post-Christian World,
David Setran points out that this, sadly, is often counter-cultural
in the American church. (2011) Secondly, when “vocation” is
compartmentalized to be solely a paid occupation, which is often
related to other dualistic views such as “secular and sacred, facts
and values, public and private, matter and spirit, work and leisure.”
(p. 347, Setran, 2011) The result can be to adopt Aquinas's practical
view of work, viewing it as separate from spiritual matters; this
view seemingly eliminates the concept of serving the Lord in the
workplace.
A
biblical view of vocation and eliminates this compartmentalized
thinking. First of all, a secular career needn't be any less scared
than a religious career; to serve God well in a secular arena is
better than serving God poorly in a religious position. According to
puritan Joseph Hall, “The honest service that we doe in an honest
calling, though it be but to plow, or digge, if done in obedience,
and conscience of God's Commandment, is crowned with an ample reward;
whereas the best workes for their kinde (preaching, praying, offering
Evangelical sacrifices) if without respect to God's injunction and
glory are loaded with curses." (p.121, Plantinga, 2002)
Secondly, on top of eliminating this distinction, it is important to
view Christian vocation as much more than just an occupation. Luther
creates a comprehensive view, stating that one “should be guided in
all his works by this thought and contemplate this one thing alone,
that he may serve and benefit others in all that he does, considering
nothing except the need and the advantage of his neighbor."
(p.348, Kleinhans, 2005) Christian philosopher Lee Hardy explains
that “work may be one thing that I am called to do, but it is not
the only thing that I am called to do.” (Sherman) Plantinga takes a
similar view and gets more specific: “To follow their main vocation
of serving the kingdom of God, Christians pursue a wonderful array of
sub-vocations. They sing, pray and hand each other the body and blood
of Christ. They rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those
who weep. They fight against evil, but also fly kites and bake
bread...” and so on, “This isn't a job that appears on any
government list of occupations, but it is a calling of God, and it is
surely a contribution to the kingdom of God.” (p. 114, Plantinga,
2002)
Building upon this concept, a Christian vocation encompasses not only what a person is called to do, but also, who a person is called to be. Vocation includes the broad calling that is shared by all Christian's, which is to be “caring followers of Jesus Christ who faithfully love God, neighbor, and self;” each Christian is also called to specific “stations,” which are the various job's, situations, and relationships held throughout a lifetime. (Schultze, 2005) Setran categorizes this concept of “vocation” and “stations” in saying that “Primary calling represents the straightforward call to God himself, to a recognition that our lives belong to him alone....Christians are first of all called to repentance (Acts 2:38-39), called to be saints (1 Corinthians 1:2), and called out of darkness (1 Pet 2:9) and into the church (Col 3:15) in order to serve God and humanity. This is a Christian's primary vocation;” to differentiate from this concept of “primary calling,” Setran also discussed “secondary calling,” which it simply refers to the unique expressions of this shared primary calling in each individual life (aka “stations”). (p.348, 2011) Luther reminds us of the scripture, “apart from me, you can do nothing” and emphasizes that we are not baptized into any specific role, but to Jesus Christ. (p. 349, Kleinhans, 2005) Quentin Schultze emphasized the importance of relationship with God over specific accomplishment as well, stating that a “prime citizen” is one who “rightly realizes that occupational callings emerge out of a faithful relationship with God, not just a message from God.” (p. 13, 2005) Determining the individual stations that one is called to is a complex matter as well, which we will discuss next; one example, of how God is honored through us serving Him in the station of our family is that “if they work right, families become a microcosm of the kingdom of God, incubating us in faith, hope, and love and schooling us in patience.” (p.113, Plantinga, 2002)
Now that we have
looked at what is included in a Christian vocation or calling (the
terms will be used interchangeably going forward), it is necessary to
address the “big question”....“what is God's calling for my
life??” During Luther's time, many of these roles and
relationships were “given rather than chosen,” but his focus was
that one did not need to change roles or occupations in order to
service God.” (p. 399, Kleinhans, 2005) Life is different today; we
have many choices and most of us will change jobs, or even fields,
multiple times throughout a lifetime. According to Setran, “our
post-Christian culture has multiplied options and deified choice,
threatening vocational commitment and contentment while blinding
emerging adults to the already present action of God in the world”
and that for young adults today the “vocational decision-making has
become for many a decade-long process of both exhilarating freedom
and agonizing discernment.” (p. 346, 2011) This problem can
partially addressed by adopting the understanding of vocation
described above, yet it is still necessary to consider how one can
discern the specific stations that he or she is called to in the
present as well as in the future.
First, how does God
reveal this information to us? Schultze and Plantinga both stress the
importance of being connected with a local church. Plantinga states
that “of all the ways we can express our citizenship in the kingdom
of God, none is more obvious than becoming an active member of our
local church.” (p. 108, Plantinga, 2002) Schultze explains further
that Christians are “best equipped to discern our strengths and
weaknesses and learn about opportunities to serve in a community of
believers;” he also offers the reassurance that “in spite of our
confusion about callings, God claims us for service long before we
are aware of it” and emphasizes the importance of serving God even
before we have “perfect knowledge of God's plan for us.” (pp.
13-14)
Secondly, what are
the needs of the kingdom? According to Frederick Buechner, “The
place God calls you to is the place where deep gladness and the
word's deep hunger meet.” (p116, Plantinga, 2002) Plantinga suggest
considering questions such as: “Where in the kingdom does God want
me to work? Where are the needs great? Where are the workers few?
Where are the temptations manageable? With whom would I work?...What
will my career do for the 'least of these'?” in order to “strive
first for the kingdom.” (pp. 116-117) These questions focus not on
one's personal desires, but the needs of the kingdom. To go where the
need is great and the workers are few means the workload would be
overwhelming without reliance upon the Lord; to answer this call, in
the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, means “When Christ calls a man,
he bids him come and die.” (p. 116, Plantinga, 2002) To answer such
call, Plantinga advises that one must enter the kingdom as a child,
which means “Jesus most surely meant that before we ever have
anything to give...we must become good receivers;” He states that
dependence is what binds us to each other and to the Lord. (p.117,
Plantinga, 2002)
Third, it is
importance to recognize that calling is not a destination, but a
journey. It is not hit-or miss. This is good news because it takes
the pressure off that we might accidentally “get it wrong”. For
some, calling may be made clear in a single defining moment, such as
Mary's encounter with the angel or Paul's encounter with Jesus; for
others it is revealed more gradually in a less defined way.
(Schultze, 2005) Neither is better or worse. Shultze says the
flexibility is essential and “God's callings have always been
incredibly diverse and often rather ambiguous even in hindsight.”
This does not present a problem, however, if we remember the primary
call is to be a follower of Jesus. Schultze offers wisdom to living
in this ambiguity, stating that “We learn, listen, and follow the
leading of the Spirit” and continually reply “Here I am” to
declare our readiness to serve however He wishes. (p. 15, 2005)
Finally, I will
share my personal experience with seeking to uncover my own calling.
Personally, I am encouraged by and in agreement with the information
shared above, because it has been consistent with my experience. I
have been following Jesus for about 14 years and am still seeking to
uncover the details of his plan for my life. For many years, I was
constantly tempted to “impatiently want to forge ahead to an
unclear destination instead of taking the time to learn to be
faithful.” (Schultze, 2005) God broke me of this habit by letting
me experience the results of my own plans and by drawing me into
closer relationship with Him. This meant years of pain and turmoil
that seemed to be more than I could bear, but I am thankful because
it is a lesson I will not forget. He has also taught me the value of
dependence on Him. I have often tried to figure out solutions to my
problems or plans for my future, only to discover more questions than
answers; at those times, He gently reminds me to quit trying to
figure it out myself and to place my trust in Him instead. In this
way, He leads my one step at a time. I believe He does not show me
the big picture because I would feel pressured to figure it out
myself. As stated above, my primary calling is to Christ, anything
additional that He calls me to do flows from that relationship.
To get more
specific, His call has been surprisingly different that what I have
told Him it is. About a year after I became a Christian, felt the
Lord prompting me to stand up in response to serve in “full-time
five-fold ministry.” Shortly after, I went on a missions trip where
I got a glimpse of what I feel is what God has for me in His kingdom.
I again responded to a call to “Go anywhere, do anything for the
sake of the Gospel.” I expected to return to the mission field, but
got married and found myself in a position where even the mention of
an interest in missions brought hostility. I had feared that I had
“messed up” God's call for my life, but I still prayed and cried
and begged God to let me go. Years passed, my marriage became more
hostile, and I prayed to God for even the opportunity to serve at
church. I experienced a lot of frustration with closed doors and I
assumed that God was calling me to seek to “win” my husband back
to right-relationship with the Lord by responding to his hostility
and despair with hope and love and point him to repentance. In the
end, my marriage failed, but God's call for my life didn't. He is
calling me to new things and I am simply following Him.
In conclusion, Christian vocation, thankfully, is a call to relationship and service to Christ and is not a destination, but a journey. It is comprehensive enough to encompass every area of our lives. A call to a title or job alone can be shallow and is not enough to withstand the pressure, discomfort, and hardship that one is likely to face over the course of a lifetime. A call to Christ, however, goes deep and is irrevocable. Fulfilling a call to an occupation rests one's own abilities, a call to serve Christ rests only on faithfulness. It provides the flexibility required to withstand a lifetime. He uses the good and the bad. When Christian vocation is understood as a call to Christ, it properly places the failures that we experience at the feet of Jesus and successes are solely tied to our obedience to Christ; therefore, successful service to the Lord is attainable to anyone regardless of background, class, or ability. It is not about climbing a ladder or perfecting skills, but listening for the direction of a Savior and King. Christian vocation is about who's you are. It is a call to a relationship and an ever-unfolding adventure.
Kleinhans, Kathryn.
(2005) The Work of a Christian: Vocation in Lutheran
Perspective. Work
& World: Volume 25 Number 4.
Plantinga, Cornelius
Jr. (2002) Engaging God’s World. Grand Rapids: W.B.
Eerdman’s Publishing Company
Setran, David P.
(2011)“Getting
a Life:” Vocational Discernment in the Post-Christian World.
Christian
Education Journal: Series 3, Volume 8, Number 2.
Sherman, Steven B,
PhD. A Biblical Model of Work. Retrieved
from Regent University: Making of the Christian Mind - Week 7 online
course content, Oct, 2013.
Shultze, Quinten.
(2005) “Here I am”. Baker Books. Retrieved from Regent
University: Making of the Christian Mind - Week 7 online course
content, Oct, 2013.
