Calling: A Biblical Perspective

by Theology of Work Project, William Messenger, Gordon Preece

Calling, or vocation, is the single most popular topic in the theology of work. When people ponder how their faith relates to their work, their first question is often, “What kind of work is God calling me to?” We spend more time at work—whether paid or unpaid— than any other waking activity. If God cares about our lives, he must care about our work, unless he intends to ignore the biggest part of our lives. Calling, therefore, is one of the most practical topics in the theology of work. If you understand God’s calling, it helps you live life more fully and follow Christ more ably every day of the week.In this book, we explore God’s call and guidance to various kinds of work. (We do not explore church and church-related work, as these have been covered extensively by others.) You can find God’s guidance by paying attention to the needs of the world, your gifts and skills, and your deepest or truest desires, brought together in the freedom of Christ. This exploration corrects the unfortunate tendency to regard ordinary work as unimportant to God and unworthy of his calling. But it would be equally wrong to elevate the importance of job or profession to a position of idolatry. Getting the right job does not bring salvation, or even happiness. Moreover, the true aim of work for the Christian is to serve the common good, not to advance his or her own interests. Over a lifetime, serving the common good comes far more from doing each day’s work to the best of your ability in Christ, than it does from finding the best job for yourself.

53 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 24, 2013

Reviews

[Jonathan Latshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and easy read on the term calling as it is used in the Bible. I'll probably get this into the hands of some college students to read in the future. But, the authors spend roughly 5 of the 30 pages reflecting on the question "If God leads or guides people to their work, could it ever be legitimate to change jobs?" I thought they spent an unnecessary amount of time on this question which seemed out place considering the scope of this short book.