The following is an excerpt from Dave Buehring’s book “The Great Opportunity”
As long as I can remember, there has been a perceived gulf between those in “secular jobs” and those in “the ministry.” Ministry folks appeared to be more sacrificial and spiritual, while those working in the secular realm were perceived to be a little less holy and often “caught up in the things of the world.” I’m grateful this kind of thinking is not on the radar of the current generation that is being raised up. Instead, they want to know how their vocation is tied to the Kingdom of God!
Consider these words from German priest, professor, and Reformation leader, Martin Luther: “The idea that service to God should have only to do with the church altar, singing, reading, sacrifice, and the like is without doubt but the worst trick of the devil. How could the devil have led us more effectively astray than by the narrow conception that service to God takes place only in church and by works done therein… The whole world could abound with services to the Lord… not only in churches but also in home, kitchen, workshop, field.”1
Through the process of my own discipleship, I learned in Scripture that there really is no such thing as “the sacred” and “the secular.”
Psalm 24:1 reminds us,
“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.”
John 1:3 affirms the same,
“All things were made through Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.”
I really like what Pastor Jack Hayford says about this in Lionshare’s Fathers of the Faith video series, “The division in the mind of God is not between the sacred arena and a secular arena. But the division is between the light and the dark. There’s darkness across the face of the Earth, and the Lord wants to seed it all with the sons and daughters of light.”2
Walking as disciples of Jesus means every area of our lives has been yielded to His Lordship, including what we do to get paid during a certain forty to fifty hours each week. Many view what they do during those hours as a way to put bread on the table so they can do what they really want to do. However, I’d submit there’s another vocational vantage point!
The root of the English word “vocation” is the Latin word vocatio, which means “calling.” Martin Luther believed that having a vocation is more than simply an occupation; rather, it encompasses the whole life of the follower of Jesus and is not limited to job, career, trade, or profession. He believed one’s vocation was a calling for followers of Jesus to contribute to the world around them by serving others.
Luther wrote, “A cobbler, a smith, a farmer, each has the work and office of his trade, and yet they are all alike consecrated priests and bishops, and every one by means of his own work or office must benefit and serve every other, that in this way many kinds of work may be done for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the community, even as all the members of the body serve one another.”3
The term “vocation” had long been used to describe “sacred” ministry and the religious orders. Luther seems to be the first to use “vocation” to refer also to “secular” offices and occupations. Today, the term has become common, another synonym for our profession or job. But behind the term is the notion that every legitimate kind of work or social function is a distinct “calling” from God, requiring unique God-given gifts, skills, and talents. Moreover, the Reformation doctrine of vocation teaches that God himself is active in everyday human labor, family responsibilities, and social interactions.
God created each of us to play a unique and meaningful role in society. He intended that we be linked by love, serving one another out of friendship while always benefiting the community at large. As each one serves through his God-given measures of capacity and influence, people are taken care of and real needs are met. William Perkins, the only Puritan author to describe callings in a systematic way, emphasized calling as “a certain kind of life ordained and imposed on man by God, for the common good.”
One of Luther’s examples, enhanced by Gene Edward Veith, helps us better understand the value and integration of our vocations: “We pray in the Lord’s Prayer that God give us our daily bread, which He does. He does so, not directly as when he gave manna to the Israelites, but through the work of farmers and bakers—and we might add truck drivers and retailers.
“In effect, the whole economic system is the means by which God gives us our daily bread. Each part of the economic food chain is a vocation, through which God works to distribute his gifts.
“Similarly, God heals the sick. While He can and sometimes does do so directly, in the normal course of things He works through doctors, nurses, and other medical experts. God protects us from evil, with the vocation of the police officer. God teaches through teachers, orders society through governments, proclaims the Gospel through pastors. Luther pointed out that God could populate the earth by creating each new generation of babies from the dust. Instead, He ordained that human beings should come together to bring up children in families. The offices of husband, wife, and parent are vocations through which God works to rear and care for children.”4
Veith continues, “God is graciously at work, caring for the human race through the work of other human beings. Behind the care we have received from our parents, the education we received from our teachers, the benefits we receive from our spouse, our employers, and our government stands God himself, bestowing His blessings.
“The picture is of a vast, complex society of human beings with different talents and abilities. Each serves the other; each is served by others. We Americans have an ideal of self-sufficiency and often dream of being able to grow our own food, build our own homes, and live independently of other people. But our proper human condition is dependence. Because of the centrality of love, we are to depend on other human beings and, ultimately and through them, on God. Conversely, other people are to depend on us. In God’s earthly Kingdom, we are to receive His blessings from other people in their vocations.
“The purpose of one’s vocation, whatever it might be, is serving others. It has to do with fulfilling Christ’s injunction to love one’s neighbor. Though justification has nothing to do with good works, vocation does involve good works. The Christian’s relationship to God is based on sheer grace and forgiveness on God’s part; the Christian’s relationship to other people, however, is to be based on love. As Wingren puts it, ‘God does not need our good works, but our neighbor does.’”5
In framing vocations, Luther talked about them as the “masks of God,” since God is actually the one at work behind what He’s appointed us to do: “All our work in the field, in the garden, in the city, in the home, in struggle, in government—to what does it all amount before God except child’s play, by means of which God is pleased to give His gifts in the field, at home, and everywhere? These are the masks of our Lord God, behind which He wants to be hidden and to do all things.”6 Luther’s thinking leads to his characterization that “God Himself is milking the cows through the vocation of the milkmaid.”7
For some, I am describing things here that fortify what you already understand about calling and vocation. For others, this may be introducing fresh thoughts that will invigorate you as you view your life and vocation from this point forward.
Vocations: Rooted in the Character of God
As I began to come alongside leaders and people serving in various vocations, I observed a couple of things about vocational fields. First, these various expressions of calling and service are not just good ideas or nice things to be able to do for a living. Eternally, they have significantly more value than that, as they are rooted in God Himself! That’s right, these vocational fields are expressions of the character of the God we love, worship, and serve. This understanding provides us with a whole different way of looking at and approaching what it is each of us is called to do.
Let me illustrate what I mean.
Today, I can get off a plane and turn on the device in my hand to receive, instantaneously, every message conceivable, from voicemail to text to email to social media. I am completely baffled as to how all this information is available at my fingertips. But, as I experience it, I am given the tiniest glimpse of the power of God’s processing ability. I am reminded that He knows the past, present, and future and is alert to what’s going on in the entire physical and spiritual realm at any given time. I am amazed that He is attentive to every single molecule and aware of the location of every person on the planet, conscious of the positioning of the seventy-nine moons of Jupiter and knowledgeable of the deepest secrets of every heart—all at the same time! When I look at Jesus as the one behind the vocation of technology, I stand in wonder and awe, worshipping Him in a way I had not previously considered.
What about Jesus, the Author of creation? The human body contains some 60,000 miles of blood vessels. If laid out in a single row, they would wrap around the earth some two-and-a-half times! What about the sun? Did you know that the sun is approximately 109 times the diameter of the earth and can fit more than one million Earths inside of it? Mind-boggling! God also created the earth just the right distance from the sun. If it were further away, we’d freeze. If it were closer, we’d all burn up! What about this thing we call water that makes up approximately 60% of our physical beings and around 72% of Earth’s surface? No living thing on the planet can survive without it! What amazing stuff—and what an amazing God, who is behind environmental and scientific vocations!
Early morning sunrises on the beaches of Hawaii reveal the canvas of God. It begins with flashes of first light turning darkness into dawn with the morning clouds momentarily reflecting daybreak colors. Then, the sun begins its slow, majestic rise to reign daily over the vibrant blue Pacific waters. Welcome to the work of God the Artist! Think about the many other works that have originated from His heavenly hands—the perfect spots on the back of a ladybug, the flawless form of a rose, the grandeur of the giant sequoia, the bright and bold expressions of the sunflower, and the uniqueness of each snowflake.
Have you considered God the Master Builder? When Noah was asked to build the ark, God provided him with detailed dimensions. It was to be made of gopher wood, and it was to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. Depending on whether the cubits of measurement were the typical 17.5 inches or the Egyptian royal cubit of 20.5 inches, it means the ark was 437 or 512 feet in length! With these measurements, there would have been over 100,000 square feet of floor space8—just what would have been needed for Noah’s family and his thousands of paired creatures! The same kind of instruction and detail goes into the building of the Tabernacle and everything contained within it, including the Ark of the Covenant. Builders, your calling is rooted in God Himself!
As we watch governments collapse before our very eyes, I am grateful that we belong to an everlasting Kingdom! The King of this Kingdom governs with abundant mercy, consistent justice, and benevolence born of His own sacrifice. His subjects are never His slaves but rather His friends. His vision is such that the wealthy want to give generously, and the poor are provided with opportunities to grow so both can give their lives in service for others!
I think you get my point. The vocations aren’t just places where we work and get paid. They are meant to reflect and display various aspects of God’s character through our lives as we do what we do. It’s a very practical way for each of us to bring glory to God!
Vocational DNA
I’ve also noticed that each vocational field seems to have its own distinct “strands of DNA.” Defining these helps determine each vocation’s unique value and function, and results in improved goods or services produced, which betters the lives of others. These strands represent God’s thumbprint on that vocational field. Through them, God can be glorified, people can be honored, and real needs can be met.
First, each vocational field contains a God-given competence that can be used to serve others. Of course, abilities, skills, and gifts overlap the vocations, yet, each field has a certain contribution through which it can specifically serve others. For example:
- Those serving within the field of technology can use their unique competence to resource, train, and fix our gadgets.
- Those leading a disaster relief service organization can use their competence to help people navigate their way through the challenge of losing property and loved ones.
Second, each vocational field develops and/or makes available distinct products and/or specific services to meet the needs of others. Each vocational field shares with its community, or the rest of the world, their work for the betterment of society. For example:
- Those working in the field that deals with fuel meet the needs of energy for people’s homes, vehicles, and work.
- Those working in the vocational field of media provide information for the public that can aid in understanding, making choices, and even the saving of lives.
Third, each vocational field has a unique range of impact. With some fields, the influence is broad and expansive. With others, it may be narrow and focused. For example:
- Those serving in the field of arts/entertainment/sports can make an impact through their performance on a huge amount of people.
- Those serving in education as home schooling parents make an impact on their own children.
Fourth, each vocational field contains relationships to enjoy and with which we can team together. The like-heartedness that comes from working together creates lifelong friendships and an ease in partnering together on tasks. For example:
- Those serving in the field of professional team sports understand that team unity is one of the keys to winning championships.
- Those serving in the field of surgical medicine recognize that a patient’s health or life depends on that surgical team working well together.
Fifth, and finally, each vocational field has a specialized mission to be accomplished on behalf of others. The aims of each field may be different, yet each one is used to meet the real needs of people. Like everything else in the Kingdom of God, as each one serves the other, every need is met. For example:
- Those serving within government are meant to create and enforce laws that benefit their society and protect its people.
- Those serving in the Church are to create an environment where people can experience God, walk in community, grow as disciples, and impact others locally and globally.
These kinds of vantage points allow us to see more clearly what we do day-in-and-day-out through the lens of the Lord. They reveal afresh the holiness or “set apartness” of our lives. My friend, it’s not “just a job” you go do, it’s doing God’s work everywhere you go! It’s not a “profession,” rather, its partnering with God in His purposes. And it’s certainly not your “career,” but rather a calling to see “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven”.
Disciple making is not to be limited to our church gatherings, small groups, etc. If extended into the vocations, raising up godly men and women who reflect God’s character and walk in His ways can result in entire communities and segments of society being transformed!
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1O. E. Feucht, Everyone a Minister (St. Louis: Concordia, 1979), 80.
2Jack Hayford, Conversations with Fathers of the Faith. DVD. Franklin: Lionshare Leadership Group, 2009.
3Martin Luther, Henry Eyster Jacobs, Adolph Spaeth, Works of Martin Luther (A.J. Holman Company, 1915).
4Gene Edward Veith (1999), “The Doctrine of Vocation: How God Hides Himself in Human Work,” Modern Reformation, May/June 1999, Vol: 8, Num: 3.
5Ibid.
6Ibid.
7Ibid.
8“Facts on Noah’s Ark and the Flood.” Christian Information Ministries. Accessed February 20, 2020. http://www.ldolphin.org/cisflood.html.