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Basics of the Faith
What Is Vocation?
For some people, work is tedious and boring something to endure until the weekend arrives. For others, work is everything; it consumes them and their time. The former find no meaning or satisfaction in their jobs, the latter find too much both lack an eternal perspective, a biblical framework through which they can evaluate what they spend most of their lives doing.
This booklet offers that framework. Work, as ordained by God, has meaning and purpose. And by understanding your own vocation, you too can say with the psalmist, Yes, establish the work of our hands!
This booklet offers that framework. Work, as ordained by God, has meaning and purpose. And by understanding your own vocation, you too can say with the psalmist, Yes, establish the work of our hands!
32 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2010
41 people want to read
About the author
Stephen J. Nichols
76 books97 followersStephen J. Nichols (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) is president of Reformation Bible College and chief academic officer of Ligonier Ministries. Previously, he served as research professor of Christianity and culture at Lancaster Bible College. He is an editor (with Justin Taylor) of the Theologians on the Christian Life series and is the author of several books, including The Reformation, For Us and for Our Salvation, The Church History ABCs, and Bonhoeffer on the Christian Life.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 16, 2021
Vocation is directly tied to our jobs which was, in the mind of the puritans, tied to our calling in life from God. There is a depressing road to go down that has signs reading things like "Only ministers are called by God" and "You aren't making a difference for the kingdom if it isn't in the context of the local church." Of course, these things are dangerous because they are teaching contract to Scripture. Our calling, whatever it may look like, is to be structured around the building of God's kingdom and implementation of Christian hospitality. For many, this will mean that our greatest efforts will be in the context of our personal careers. This should change the way we clock-in to work each day.
Martin Luther has been said to say "The Christian shoemaker doesn't "The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship." And this is true as far as it goes. Being faithful to Christ materializes itself in a variety of ways.
I think Leslie Newbigin summarizes it best when he writes "A farmer who farms his land well but neglects to say his prayers will be certainly condemned by Christians as failing in his duty. But a farmer who says his prayers, and allows weeds, bad drainage, or soil erosion to spoil his land, is failing in his primary duty as a churchman. His primary ministry and the total life of the body of Christ is to care rightly for the land entrusted to him. If he fails there, he fails in his primary Christian task."
Many refuse to take their vocations seriously as Christians and our culture is in the state it is in partyl for this reason.
Martin Luther has been said to say "The Christian shoemaker doesn't "The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship." And this is true as far as it goes. Being faithful to Christ materializes itself in a variety of ways.
I think Leslie Newbigin summarizes it best when he writes "A farmer who farms his land well but neglects to say his prayers will be certainly condemned by Christians as failing in his duty. But a farmer who says his prayers, and allows weeds, bad drainage, or soil erosion to spoil his land, is failing in his primary duty as a churchman. His primary ministry and the total life of the body of Christ is to care rightly for the land entrusted to him. If he fails there, he fails in his primary Christian task."
Many refuse to take their vocations seriously as Christians and our culture is in the state it is in partyl for this reason.
April 18, 2018
A brief explanation of the biblical view of vocation/calling. It includes quotes from the Bible, Luther, and Calvin. I wish it had discussed how to figure out your vocation/calling.
Notes
All work and all roles we play are potentially holy callings, which can be fulfilled for the glory of God alone.
"There is a difference between greed and ambition. Ambition can be a good thing. … The issue may be posed by asking, 'Ambitious for what?' Christ clearly tells us to seek first the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33). If we are ambitious for anything else, we do things, even good things, for all the wrong reasons."
Ultimately, fulfillment/satisfaction/contentment with work doesn't come from accumulating wealth or things, but from fulfilling our purpose of working in service to God. Prov 12:14; Ecc 3:13.
Notes
All work and all roles we play are potentially holy callings, which can be fulfilled for the glory of God alone.
"There is a difference between greed and ambition. Ambition can be a good thing. … The issue may be posed by asking, 'Ambitious for what?' Christ clearly tells us to seek first the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33). If we are ambitious for anything else, we do things, even good things, for all the wrong reasons."
Ultimately, fulfillment/satisfaction/contentment with work doesn't come from accumulating wealth or things, but from fulfilling our purpose of working in service to God. Prov 12:14; Ecc 3:13.
December 28, 2018
Looking for a short book on what the Bible says about vocation to use in a Career Exploration class I'm teaching high schoolers , I stumbled on this. I plan to use it.
December 9, 2016
This is a booklet on a Christian view of vocation as part of the Basics of the Christian faith series published by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing. It was authored by Stephen Nichols who is probably best known by most Reformed Christians as the chief academic officer of Ligonier Ministries. This book offers readers a concise biblical worldview on the subject of work and vocation.
In the beginning of the book Nichols answers the question of what is vocation. He explores the English word for vocation and also the Latin root. In addition Nichols gives us a brief sketch of how vocation was understood over the ages leading up to Martin Luther’s and the Reformation’s recovery of the biblical understanding that all work is a vocation and a calling. This however is not just a historical survey for the book also provide a biblical framework of thinking about vocation.
Personally I enjoyed the second half of the booklet more than the first half though I believe the first half with the historical details was necessary and foundational for everything else in the booklet. Nichols is much more practical in the second half. I loved how he has a section on “how not to work” before progressing to the next section of “how to work.” The section of “how not to work” made me paused to reflect that there’s wrong way of going about our work and vocation. It was a good heart check.
I appreciate this booklet being nuanced in such a short work. For instance the author made a distinction between ambition and greed, and how the former can be good while the latter is sinful. The same distinction is also applied to the author’s discussion of vacation and laziness. I thought this booklet was different than other Reformed writings on the topic of work and vocation in that it addresses the subject of work and paycheck. I appreciated the author’s discussion about unemployment (page 27-28). In a world where there is unemployment, stay-at-home moms and the self-employed, the author made a good point on page 26 that "our theology needs to be big enough to include work that isn’t done for a paycheck...The doctrine of vocation has nothing to do with a paycheck, and therefore can be a great help to those who don't get one." Much more of course could be said and developed beyond the scope of the booklet. Nichols’ point that vocation is more than just a paycheck could easily be misrepresented and he is quite nuanced as he also said “But all of us are to work, even if it isn't for a paycheck” (28).
Overall a good booklet that I recommend. I personally used this as a discipleship tool with a member of my church. In terms of constructive criticisms I wished there were discussion questions at the end of the booklet. I know other booklets by the publishers in other series later had discussion questions and it would have been helpful to have them here as well. Also I don't know if Jesus was a citizen in the Roman Empire in the technical sense as asserted on page 25 but I imagine Nichols was trying to convey Jesus was a subject of the Roman Empire. This is a small point that focuses on attention to detail but one shouldn’t miss Nichols’ point that Jesus is our example with the many hats and responsibilities He bore and also our responsibilities and obligation we also must bear. Again, good booklet.
In the beginning of the book Nichols answers the question of what is vocation. He explores the English word for vocation and also the Latin root. In addition Nichols gives us a brief sketch of how vocation was understood over the ages leading up to Martin Luther’s and the Reformation’s recovery of the biblical understanding that all work is a vocation and a calling. This however is not just a historical survey for the book also provide a biblical framework of thinking about vocation.
Personally I enjoyed the second half of the booklet more than the first half though I believe the first half with the historical details was necessary and foundational for everything else in the booklet. Nichols is much more practical in the second half. I loved how he has a section on “how not to work” before progressing to the next section of “how to work.” The section of “how not to work” made me paused to reflect that there’s wrong way of going about our work and vocation. It was a good heart check.
I appreciate this booklet being nuanced in such a short work. For instance the author made a distinction between ambition and greed, and how the former can be good while the latter is sinful. The same distinction is also applied to the author’s discussion of vacation and laziness. I thought this booklet was different than other Reformed writings on the topic of work and vocation in that it addresses the subject of work and paycheck. I appreciated the author’s discussion about unemployment (page 27-28). In a world where there is unemployment, stay-at-home moms and the self-employed, the author made a good point on page 26 that "our theology needs to be big enough to include work that isn’t done for a paycheck...The doctrine of vocation has nothing to do with a paycheck, and therefore can be a great help to those who don't get one." Much more of course could be said and developed beyond the scope of the booklet. Nichols’ point that vocation is more than just a paycheck could easily be misrepresented and he is quite nuanced as he also said “But all of us are to work, even if it isn't for a paycheck” (28).
Overall a good booklet that I recommend. I personally used this as a discipleship tool with a member of my church. In terms of constructive criticisms I wished there were discussion questions at the end of the booklet. I know other booklets by the publishers in other series later had discussion questions and it would have been helpful to have them here as well. Also I don't know if Jesus was a citizen in the Roman Empire in the technical sense as asserted on page 25 but I imagine Nichols was trying to convey Jesus was a subject of the Roman Empire. This is a small point that focuses on attention to detail but one shouldn’t miss Nichols’ point that Jesus is our example with the many hats and responsibilities He bore and also our responsibilities and obligation we also must bear. Again, good booklet.
January 8, 2017
This is a great little book. In only 30 pages Stephen J. Nichols paints a wonderful picture of the importance and necessity of seeing work as a vocation.
This booklet is part of a series called ‘Basics of faith’ published by P&R. Nichols, professor of Christianity and culture at Lancaster Bible College, explores what the doctrine of vocation looks like in the twentieth century as well as how it was shaped by the Reformers in the sixteenth century.
Vocation in recent decades has become something of a dirty word, or one that is only applied to vicars and ministers. Vocations only apply to certain (usually professional) careers, the rest of us have jobs. However, this was not the original meaning. It comes from the Latin vocatio or vocare, which means ‘calling’. Originally it meant a call to the priesthood, but the Reformers redeemed its use and used it to apply to all callings including being a parent, a spouse and to the professions (p. 8). Hence the term, ‘full-time Christian ministry’ applies to all Christians whatever area of life they work in.
In a brief biblical overview Nichols traces the link between the garden and the task of cultivation to a new horizon of understanding for work. In our work we are in the service of the King. In two short sections he looks at how not to and how to work. Here he draws upon the insights in Proverbs.
He writes with the aim of helping us see that work – be it paid or unpaid - needs to be viewed as a calling, as a vocation. It is a message that we all need to be reminded of. This booklet will certainly help do that.
This booklet is part of a series called ‘Basics of faith’ published by P&R. Nichols, professor of Christianity and culture at Lancaster Bible College, explores what the doctrine of vocation looks like in the twentieth century as well as how it was shaped by the Reformers in the sixteenth century.
Vocation in recent decades has become something of a dirty word, or one that is only applied to vicars and ministers. Vocations only apply to certain (usually professional) careers, the rest of us have jobs. However, this was not the original meaning. It comes from the Latin vocatio or vocare, which means ‘calling’. Originally it meant a call to the priesthood, but the Reformers redeemed its use and used it to apply to all callings including being a parent, a spouse and to the professions (p. 8). Hence the term, ‘full-time Christian ministry’ applies to all Christians whatever area of life they work in.
In a brief biblical overview Nichols traces the link between the garden and the task of cultivation to a new horizon of understanding for work. In our work we are in the service of the King. In two short sections he looks at how not to and how to work. Here he draws upon the insights in Proverbs.
He writes with the aim of helping us see that work – be it paid or unpaid - needs to be viewed as a calling, as a vocation. It is a message that we all need to be reminded of. This booklet will certainly help do that.
December 30, 2013
Do you hate your job? Sadly, many people would answer yes to that question. What Nichols points out in this Basics of the Faith booklet is that all work is meant to glorify God—not just specific callings to church ministry, missionary posts, etc. Whether we work in a cushy office or in a noisy factory or in a bland cubicle, we must see our jobs (and our performances of them) as ultimately significant and meaningful.
July 30, 2014
Nichols focuses on the word “vocation”, which (as he points out) is derived from a Latin word that means “calling”. Any profession, for a Christian, is a part of one’s calling. Nichols stresses both the necessities of hard work and faithful Sabbath rest. He gives a very clear and helpful view of what the Bible has to say about work.
February 16, 2017
All Christians are called to work in a particular vocation. This short book, roughly 30 pages, succinctly illustrates what vocation is. It is from a Reformed perspective, but I think vocation is an idea that all Christians can agree on.
August 16, 2015
Easy to understand short treatise on the theme of vocation in the Scriptures, mostly along the lines of work and rest.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews