Do you have a calling?

Do you have a calling? Have you thought about your daily work and tasks not just as your job or your hobby, but as your vocation?

This is a question that has been on my mind a lot lately. And for some reason, I find myself in a lot of conversations about it as well.

The English word vocation comes from the Latin verb vocare, which means to call, to summon, or to name. Thinking about what we do in terms of a vocation instead of just a job or an occupation makes a difference. It causes us to approach our daily work not from the standpoint of what we choose, but rather from the standpoint of how we are called by God.

One of the biggest obstacles for the church to overcome when thinking about vocation is the assumption on the part of many that it is only ministers who are called. But when you get a chance, read the material from the Apostle Paul on spiritual gifts: Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Ephesians 4:1-16.

It's clear from the New Testament that spiritual gifts are given to all members of the body of Christ. They "are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each on individually just as the Spirit chooses" (1 Cor 12:11).

When I was in ministry in Searcy, Arkansas, I led our congregation through a study on spiritual gifts where the authors of the study tried to fit all Christians into one of the gifts specifically mentioned in those three Scripture passages. But I don't think Paul is trying to give us an exhaustive list at all. (That's part of the reason the lists differ in each place.) Instead, Paul is showing us a sample of the diversity of gifts that God gives to the church. That's why the Scripture mentions such things as encouraging, helping, and administration. These are expressions of gifts that admit of a great deal of particularity in expression, exactly because the Holy Spirit uses many different means to build up the church.

I firmly believe that God calls every woman and man. We see that visibly in baptism, but the promise of Jesus is that we will also receive a new birth through the Spirit. In that same Spirit, we can - with patience and discernment - discover the gifts that God gives each of us to bear witness to the gospel and build up the body of Christ.

Here's a prayer for discernment, from the United Methodist Book of Worship (p.510):

Almighty God, in a world of change you placed eternity in our hearts and gave us power to discern good from evil. Grant us sincerity, that we may persistently seek the things that endure, refusing those which perish, and that, amid things vanishing and deceptive, we may see the truth steadily, follow the light faithfully, and grow ever richer in that love which is the life of all people; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

I think sharing about our Christian vocation can be a fruitful form of mutual witness. I shared about my own sense of vocation a few days ago in this post. If you'd like to share about yours, please feel free to do so in the comments section.