Equipping for Lifc Scrics

VOCATIONS AND CALLING

A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE OF VORK


PRE-GAME
As graduaiion approachcs, you arc acing a ma[or iransiiion in lic and wiih ii, ma[or
qucsiions conccrning ihc dircciion o your lic and carccr. How do you dccidc i you should
go io mcdical school, work ai a consuliing irm, 1cach or Amcrica or pursuc ull iimc
minisiry' Vhilc ihcrc arc many aciors bchind ihcsc qucsiions, ihc undcrlying issuc is how
can you bc aiihul io God in and ihrough your carccr. Morc ihan [usi bcing mcasurcd in
icrms o praycr and biblc siudy, aiihulncss is a holisiic issuc ihai is bascd on our obcdicncc
io God in ccry arca o our lics, including how wc handlc work. A aiihul Chrisiian
pcrspcciic on work inolcs ihinking Chrisiianly aboui all aspccis o ihc ocaiion io which
wc hac bccn callcd, bc ii in graduaic school, on Vall Sircci or wiih Aihlcics in Aciion. 1his
siudy will cquip you io ihink Chrisiianly aboui work by building a biblical pcrspcciic on
how wc disccrn God`s calling in our lics and how wc can honor God ihrough our aiiiiudc
ioward work iiscl.


THEME
God crcaicd us uniqucly wiih his own purposcs in mind. Our aiiiiudc and approach io all
work should rclcci an apprcciaiion o God`s uniquc calling and purposc in our lics.


PRACTICE
A biblical pcrspcciic on ocaiion and calling should lcad us io scc work noi as an occupaiion
ihai makcs us moncy bui as a ocaiion ihai cxprcsscs who God has uniqucly crcaicd us io bc.















































Equipping for Lifc
Scrics:

Moncy Maiicrs

Rcihinking Succcss

Vocaiions and Calling

Vork and Rcsi
in Balancc


SYMBOL KEY
Indicaics discussion qucsiions
Indicaics applicaiion qucsiions io bc discusscd
Indicaics Biblical passagcs io look up

Equipping for Lifc Scrics - Vocations and CaIIing
I. THE NATURE OF OUR CALLING

Vhai docs ii mcan io bc callcd` by God io do somcihing' Vhai arc wc callcd io'


Chrisiians oicn pray, ialk and worry aboui God`s `call` in ihcir lics as i ii wcrc a
sccrci ihai God is rcluciani io rccal. Bui God is pcrsonal and has clcarly cxprcsscd
his will io us ihrough iwo dicrcni iypcs o calling` in our lics.

Our primary call - a call io bcing
God has callcd ccryonc io rcspond in aiih io him as Saior and Lord.

Rcad Micah o.s, Ecclcsiasics ::.:, Maiihcw ::.-+o, John o.:s-:
- Docs ii sccm ihai God`s will or us is a sccrci'
- Vhai docs our primary call cniail'





Vc arc primarily callcd io bc ihc pcrson God inicndcd or us io bc whcn hc crcaicd us,
bcginning wiih ollowing Chrisi, bui also inoling an obcdicni lic.


Our sccondary call - a call io aciion
1hcrc is much morc io God`s call ihan bcing a Chrisiian. God calls us io spcciic
aciions ihai rclcci who hc has uniqucly crcaicd us io bc. 1his sccondary calling is
disiinci or dicrcni indiiduals and should moc us io incsi our lics in spcciic ways.

Rcad Lukc :.:-::
- Has Icicr (Simon) rcspondcd io God`s primary call' Vhcrc do you scc ihis'
- Vhai spcciic aciion is Chrisi calling Icicr io' Vhai docs ii inolc'






Likc Icicr, wc acc iwo signiicani callings. Irimarily wc arc callcd io salaiion,
sccondarily wc arc callcd io rcspond io Chrisi`s Lordship by going a spcciic dircciion
in icrms o work. Ior Icicr, ihis call was io bc an aposilc, a ishcr o mcn.` Vc ioo arc
callcd io an arca o work, or ocaiion` ihai cxprcsscs who God has uniqucly madc us
io bc. A ocaiion is an occupaiion ihai rclccis God`s call in our lics.

How would your proccss o making dccisions aboui [obs aicr collcgc changc i you
iook inio accouni ihc dicrcncc bciwccn occupaiions` and ocaiions`'


















For thc sccrct of
man`s bcing is not
onIy to Iivc...but to
Iivc for somcthing
dcfinitc. Vithout a
firm notion of what hc
is Iiving for, man wiII
not acccpt Iifc and
wiII rathcr dcstroy
himscIf than rcmain
on carth. - Thc
Inquisitor in Fyodor
Dostocvsky`s Thc
Brothcrs Karamazov








Thcrc is not oncc
squarc inch of thc
cntirc crcation about
which !csus Christ
docs not cry out, 'This
is minc! This bcIongs
to mc!` - Abraham
Kuypcr, ioth ccntury
Christian thcoIogian.









vocation io call
occupation [ob


e
II. THE INVESTMENT OF OUR CALLING

Our calling rom God is a gii - ii is a pcrsonal way in which God oricnis us in ordcr io carry
oui his purposcs ihrough us. Hc has callcd us io spcciic ocaiions io lic oui an abundani,
ruiiul lic (John :o.:o) in lighi o our uniquc giicdncss and pcrsonaliiy.

I you won a so million loiicry, would you work ncxi ycar' I so, how would your
[ob choicc bc dicrcni' Vhai docs ihis say aboui ihc purposc o work in our minds'





Rcad Ecclcsiasics :.:-:o


1hc wriicr o Ecclcsiasics dcscribcs work apari rom God as mcaninglcss ioil,
anxious siriing and chasing aicr ihc wind. Likcwisc, wc oicn pursuc work apari
rom a scnsc o calling rom God and ihus work bccomcs a ncccssary drudgcry io makc
moncy. In conirasi, Scripiurc says ihai God`s calling should lcad io work ihai is
satisfying (Eccl. :.:+), succcssfuI as wc pursuc God`s purposcs (Irocrbs :o.-+) and
significant bccausc ii is work ihai achiccs a purposc ihai is pari o God`s grand plan.

Rcad Gcncsis :.:-: - 1hc Culiural Mandaic
- Bcginning ai crcaiion, whai iypc o work is God gcncrally calling us io do'
- Vhai docs ihc command io work and hac dominion` hac io do wiih ihc
aiiiiudc wc should hac ioward work and ocaiions'






How should ihc Culiural Mandaic lcad us io scc our calling io work in icrms o
ocaiions as opposcd io occupaiions'







Chrisiian` work is noi a spcciic iypc o occupaiion bui raihcr an aiiiiudc ihai sccs
work noi, primarily as a ihing onc docs io lic, bui ihc ihing onc lics io do.
Vork is, or ii should bc, ihc ull cxprcssion o ihc workcrs` giis, ihc ihing in
which hc inds spiriiual, mcnial and bodily saiisaciion, and ihc mcdium in which hc
ocrs himscl io God. (Doony Suy., Cu o Cnuo.)

Bccausc God has callcd us io incsi our lics inio a ocaiion ihai rclccis our
pcrsonaliiy, passions and giicdncss, wc musi siop sccing work as a mcans o making
moncy, gaining powcr or building a rcsumc bui as an cxprcssion o how wc hac bccn
madc in ihc imagc o God.






























Thc habit of thinking
about work as somc-
thing onc docs to
makc moncy is so
ingraincd in us that
wc can scarccIy
imaginc what a rcvo-
Iutionary changc it
wouId bc to think
about it instcad in
tcrms of thc work
donc. It wouId mcan
taking thc attitudc of
mind wc rcscrvc of
our unpaid work - our
hobbics, our Icisurc
intcrcsts, thc things
wc makc and do for
pIcasurc - and making
that thc standard of
aII our judgmcnts
about things and
pcopIc.
- Doroihy Saycrs in
Cu o Cnuo.











s Equipping for Lifc Scrics - Vocations and CaIIing
How would lic bc dicrcni i you approachcd work wiih ihc samc aiiiiudc o mind
you rcscrc or hobbics, lcisurc inicrcsis and ihc ihings wc makc and do or plcasurc







III. THE DIRECTION OF OUR CALLING

Iulilling our call and liing oui a purposcul lic o work inolcs dcicrmining ihc uniquc
dircciion God is lcading us.

How do you disccrn dircciion rom God' Vhai do you look / lisicn / scarch or'




Vc oicn crror in how wc disccrn God`s dircciion. Somc cxpcci God io show ihcm a
hcacnly ncon sign ihai lays oui a spcciic plan. 1his rcsulis in passiiiy and indccision.
Oihcrs ihink God only carcs aboui cicrnal` ihings and lcacs carihly` ihings likc [obs
choiccs complcicly up io ihcm. 1his rcsulis in auionomy and indcpcndcncc rom God.

God rccals his plan or us ihrough his Vord. In Scripiurc, wc ind sccral aciors
ihai wc musi considcr in ordcr io righily disccrn God`s dircciion in our lics.

providcncc - Vhai opporiuniiics cxisi and whcrc is God lcading you'
God socrcignly conirols all ihings and guidcs our lics and circumsianccs or his
purposcs. 1hc clariiy o ihcsc opcn doors` arics. Acts ic:c-ic

giftcdncss - Vhai do you know a loi aboui or sccm io bc cry good ai'
God gics cach o us uniquc giis and calls us io bc sicwards ocr ihcm ihrough
our lics o work and scricc. Matthcw ea:i4-sc

passions - Vhai do you carc aboui' Vhai brings you [oy or makcs you angry'
Vhcn wc walk aiihully wiih God, hc aligns our passions and dcsircs wiih his
purposcs. PsaIm s!:4

wisdom - Vhai do oihcr godly pcoplc ihink'
God docs noi inicnd or us io only scck dircciion ihrough praying on our own. Hc
proidcs guidancc ihrough ihc wisdom o our church communiiics, good ricnds
and cldcrs. Provcrbs s:is-sa



IV. POST GAME

Bccausc God has callcd us io spcciic incsimcnis o our lics ihrough our uniquc sci o giis,
passions and pcrsonaliiy wc should scc work noi as an occupaiion ihai makcs us moncy bui
as a ocaiion ihai cxprcsscs who God has uniqucly crcaicd us io bc. Our calling may noi iakc
us down a paih ihai sccms glamorous by worldly siandards, bui no maiicr whai our procs-
sion, wc arc callcd io hac an aiiiiudc ioward ocaiion, calling and work ihai honors God
and is in submission io his Lordship.



God has crcatcd us
and our gifts for a
pIacc of his
choosingand wc
wiII onIy bc ourscIvcs
whcn wc arc finaIIy
thcrc.
- Os Guinncss



















To makc thc choicc
of carccr or
profcssion on scIfish
grounds, without a
truc scnsc of caIIing,
is probabIy thc
grcatcst singIc sin any
young pcrson can
commit, for it is thc
dcIibcratc withdrawaI
from aIIcgiancc to
God of thc grcatcst
part of timc and
strcngth.
- Os Guinncss, Tn Cu!!












4 Equipping for Lifc Scrics - Vocations and CaIIing