Genuine Callings

Living out the Christian faith looks differently for different people, since God calls us to fill various roles within the church. Some individuals will pursue more intellectual work, teaching or writing or speaking. Others serve with their hands in jobs ranging from construction to sign language interpretation. Homeschooling moms devote most of their time to educating their children. Still others boldly preach the Gospel far from home. That's one of the beautiful things about Christ's church: everyone has widely diverse gifts. If each of us were forced to have the same education, career, and family life, it would be sad! Not to mention unhelpful.

Scripture encourages various manners of serving. In 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, Paul says, "Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one." The author encourages quiet, virtuous living for the Christian. At the same time, the Bible clearly supports mission work and evangelism: "And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:18-20). To me, these two can seem contradictory. And God says both are good ways for the believer to serve Him.

Yet lately, there seems to be a pressure to be called in a certain way. Those who make an immediate, visible change in the world are seen as dynamic, godly Christians than the ones who follow Christ in a quieter life. We glorify the paths that are risky and radical above the simple and ordinary callings. Being a missionary in a foreign country takes more bravery and devotion than I can ever imagine. I admire the men and women I know who give their lives to spreading the Gospel in other nations. Still, maybe my personal respect for missionaries doesn't make their calling more genuine than the one called to witness to a neighbor just down the street.

Anthony Bradley, in his WORLD Magazine article, wrote: "Perhaps the best antidote to these pendulum swings and fads is simply to recover an mature understanding of vocation so that youth and youth adults understand that they can make important contributions to human flourishing in any sphere of life because there are no little people or insignificant callings in the Kingdom." Perhaps I shouldn't redefine "true" Christianity as one unique type of ministry. Instead, I should acknowledge that God's callings are always intentional, and fit into His good and perfect will.