Vocation 4 - Evangelism

Vocation Day IV: Living our faith in our callings

According to medieval Catholicism, the only kind of "calling" was to a distinctly religious life. If you had a "vocation," that meant that you were to be a priest, a monk, or a nun. Luther's contribution--which was taken up by all Protestants and now even by contemporary Catholics--was to see that so-called "secular" occupations were also callings from God. While our relationship to God is based solely on His grace through Jesus Christ, not our works, He calls us to do good works for our neighbors. ("God does not need our good works. Our neighbor does.") This means that the Christian life is to be lived out primarily in our vocations. Not only that, but work done in the church is not superior.  Having a job outside of church is as important as having one inside. Volunteering in the community is as important as volunteering in the church. Being a pastor is not a better calling than being a janitor, or engineer. It does not matter what you do, it matters that you give glory to God in whatever you do (1 Cor. 10:31, Col. 3:17).

This is where sanctification happens, not so much in "church work" but in our families, our workplace, our life in our communities. Vocation is the key to evangelism (as we bring up our children in Christ, as we interact with non-believers on the job) and to Christian influence on the culture (being salt and light in the world). As Christians learn to live out their faith in their callings--the arts, politics, businesses, education, court rooms, the entertainment industry, the media, marriage, parenting--the culture will be changed. As the great commission tells us, we are to make disciples as we are going about our lives (Matthew 28:19-20).

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20
Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.