A slight, young man with striking blue eyes sat near a dimly lit candle in the library. He was in the midst of discovering his calling. Before him lay several pamphlets outlining the massive injustice of his day. Cruelty was rampant in Britain, and God sparked within his heart an inferno of conviction to fight the atrocity. But doubts ensued. What can I do? he thought. I’m just one man. Can I really make a difference? [1].
Yet his faith and fire prevailed. William knew that God was fully behind him. More than that, he understood the source of his calling. Christ had given His life “as a ransom for many,” and he knew the One who had died for him. Then and there, William set his face like flint and dedicated his life to ending slavery.
William Wilberforce was the main catalyst in ending the British slave trade in the 19th century. His sense of vocation was unmistakable. He counted the cost and put his friendships on the line, his job, and standing in the community. Thankfully, he didn’t care what it would take to end the barbarous practice. In 1787 Wilberforce wrote: “God almighty has set before me two great objects: The abolition of the slave trade, and the reformation of manners [2].
Yes, God cares about what job you have.
We All Have 80,000 Hours
It took time for Wilberforce to find his calling and a lifetime to see the fruits of his labor. It was a blessing because many of us won’t get to see such a stark change from our own efforts in our lifetime. But I hope we do. Sick and in bed at the age of 82, a messenger brought news that the “final passage of the emancipation bill was ensured in committee.” In other words, slavery was officially over, and Wilberforce died three days later[3].
That’s how I want to go out.
Wilberforce, like us, had the same 80,000 hours of work in his lifetime. That’s 10,000 days at a job for each of us. He found his calling. The key question is, are you spending your time doing something you love, or at least like? Does your job include any of your passions or interests? Is your job just “a job,” and you’re only looking for a paycheck? Is it possible to make money and be employed somewhere where you can also advance God’s kingdom?
Here’s the difference between a job, vocation, and calling. First, vocation and calling mean the same thing so I’ll use them interchangeably. A vocation, or calling, has a sense of purpose beyond earning money. Vocations are a professional arena where you can make a living plus fill a space where your interests, passions, and skills abound. In the Christian sense, vocation carries with it the sense that God has called you to a certain place, area, people group, or kind of work. Vocation also means that God designed you to excel at certain roles—that He has a mission for you, and you are well-suited for a certain kind of work.
Done for the Lord, almost any job could be done as a vocation. You, God, and your spiritual community will have to decide whether you can fulfill God’s mission for your life where you work now or whether you need to move to another position to do that.
First, Know the Caller
As author and professor, Os Guinness states, “There is no calling unless there is a Caller” [5]. Knowing the Caller is a precursor to knowing our specific professional calling or vocation. And knowing Christ is way more important than the job we have. Like the Apostle Paul, we need to say, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil 3:8).
If you know Christ, then you have already achieved your most important purpose in life. He’s God over every situation in your life and wants you to give Him everything. After being called to know Christ, you probably will be called to other roles such as a spouse, parent, friend, and honest and hard worker in whatever job you find yourself in. Like a glimmering wedding diamond, callings have many effulgent sides. You might have many wonderful options to choose from. But what vocation would bring you the most joy, give you the greatest sense of purpose, and glorify God?
The Bible doesn’t specify what job best fits your interests, gifts, and experiences, only that “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thess 3:10).In other words, you can glorify God in whatever line of work you’re in now. Work is good, and that is why even before the Fall, men and women were commissioned to work. “The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it” (Gen 2:15, NLT).
All Vocations Can Glorify God
It’s tempting to place jobs in churches, Christian non-profits, and developing countries above what everyone else does. Sometimes you can actually fight for what’s right in a secular job than a role that keeps you inside the church. That was the route that Wilberforce took as a member of parliament. There are no Christian jobs, only Christians who do them. Hundreds of years before that, Martin Luther excoriated the Roman Catholic church in placing special “spiritual jobs” above those of cobblers, blacksmiths, and farmers. Luther labels monks, nuns, and priests as the “Spiritual State” and argues that they are not more valuable than any other workers in society.
It has been devised that the Pope, bishops, priests and monks are called the Spiritual Estate; Princes, lords, artificers and peasants, are the Temporal Estate, which is a very fine, hypocritical device. But let no one be made afraid by it; and that for this reason: That all Christians are truly of the Spiritual Estate, and there is no difference among them, save of office alone. As St. Paul says, we are all one body, though each member does its own work, to serve the others [1 Cor. 12][6].
Timothy Keller rightly notes that “Luther is arguing here that God calls every Christian equally to their work” [7]. So whether you cut metal on a CNC machine all day, teach a classroom of children, drive a trash truck, or sell shoes for a living, you can honor God. God cares just as much about how we do something and who we’re doing it for as what we do. Any job can be a sacred space for God to work through you and your company. And lest we forget, our Savior was a carpenter.
God Cares What Job You Choose
If you’re reading this, however, you probably want more than any ‘ole job. You want to make a difference in the world with your 10,000 days of work. You believe that life is too short to spend one-third of your day doing something inconsequential. You understand that your community needs you to make it better. The Bible says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph 5:15-17, ESV). The NIV translates this as “making the most of every opportunity.” In either case, the meaning of this verb phrase is “to make good use of” our time[4].
Your passions, interests, and gifts are also tied to your productivity. You’ll excel at a job where you are fully engaged. Discovering what kind of 40hr work week makes you leap out of bed in the morning will please God and your soul. God designed you, and the Holy Spirit gave you special gifts. Psalm 139:13 states, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” The Lord has given everyone natural abilities, spiritual gifts, and various interests to share with the world. 1 Corinthians 12:7 states, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.”
So why not translate these into a job you at least like, if not love? God cares about what job you choose.
The world needs you to fulfill your vocation. God, your family, community, and well-being need you to invest your 80,000 hours in a job you care about. Think about it: You’ll only give 100% to something that intrigues you and keeps you curious. Consider how much St. Augustine affected the world as both emperor and theologian in the fourth century. Likewise, how much longer would slavery have endured if William Wilberforce hadn’t dedicated his life to politics and ending the horrible practice? Think of how much Martin Luther King Jr did in his role as pastor and civil rights activist in the 1960’s. Or how many brains have Dr. Ben Carson operated on? How many teachers, youth pastors, and business people have made the world a better place? These men and women loved their careers and brought glory to God in the process.
It Takes Work to Figure Out Your Calling
Where do you want to be in life in ten years? Like me, maybe you’re not just starting after college and have much less than 10,000 days of work left in your life. Maybe you’re in the second or tenth job in your life. What are you to do? In any case, it’s never too late to figure out what your purpose is here on earth. Mark Twain said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
God doesn’t spell that out exactly how to find our professional calling. Much of that journey is left up to us. God promises, “I will not leave you or forsake you” (Joshua 1:5). The Lord is with you throughout your vocational journey. And He cares more about you fulfilling your purposes here on earth than you do!
I do know it takes effort to find out how we really want to spend our time working. For some, it was easy. I have friends who always wanted to be doctors. They studied hard, took the MCAT, and made it into med school. Other friends have been called to be missionaries from an early age. Abraham had a clear call from God, as did Moses, King David Jeremiah, and the Apostle Paul.
Others of us will have to try and fail many times. But that’s part of the journey of discovering our calling. Two steps forward, one step back is the norm. You’ll need courage to keep going in the pursuit of your ideal vocation. Like Winston Churchhill said, “To every person there comes in their lifetime that special moment when you are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to you and your talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds you unprepared or unqualified for work that could have been your finest hour.”
You Have Permission to Explore Your Vocation
God cares most about us knowing Him. Likewise, He doesn’t put professional ministers on a superior platform. God can use any job to glorify Him, bring you joy, and advance His Kingdom. But the Lord at least wants you to pray if you’re spending your workdays at the right place.
If you feel trepidation about stepping out in a new vocation, pray for faith. Get unstuck from indecision and take a risk. Many years ago, I took a huge step of faith and sold my house, and went on the mission field. Or, if you need permission to take a step forward in finding your calling, I hereby grant it. I officially give you permission to explore other occupations, take risks, and start new endeavors. How could you earn a living, glorify God, and get excited to show up to work every day?
Do you agree that God has a role designed for each of us and we only need to find it? Comment below!
–>Next Article in Find Your Calling Series: What CAN You Do to Find Your Calling?
[1] Adapted from William Wilberforce, A Practical View of Christianity.
[2] Ibid.
[3] https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/activists/william-wilberforce.html
[4] Bratcher, R. G., & Nida, E. A. (1993). A handbook on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (pp. 133–134). New York: United Bible Societies.
[5] Guinness, Os. The Call (p. 48). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
[6] Luther, Martin. To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation: With a Biographical Introduction (Regimen Books Christian Classics Book 26). Regimen Books. Kindle Edition.
[7] Keller, Timothy. Every Good Endeavor (p. 69). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
