Let's break it down this week. You and I have multiple levels of vocation to live into on a daily basis. The first areas is our vocation or calling as a child of God. The second area is our vocation or calling in relationship to our families (i.e. husband, wife, father, mother, child etc.) The third area of vocation or calling is within the work place and culture at large. The fourth would be in the local church/ministry in which you are involved. The beauty of all of these areas is that Scripture affords us no small amount of guidance as we consider them and seek to live into them on a daily basis.
Our vocation as a child of God begins the moment Christ calls us unto Himself and we respond with repentance and confession. God has justified you and I, and through the justification achieved by the person and work of Christ on the cross, we are declared righteous! This is the first calling and it impacts all the others. To be a child of God brings with it certain consequences. The Bible says it in various ways, but a main theme is that we are called to be a blessing to others (Gen.12) and that we are called to 'walk in step' with God's Spirit! In other words, once we become a child of God then our thoughts, desires and activities should line up with the 'will, call and desire' of God in our world!
In order for God to practice His vocation in our life, He puts us in a system of relationships whereby He might sanctify us and grow us closer to His image! The first, and probably most significant, is the family system. Here you and I get way off track immediately. Our modern philosophers and pundits would tell us that family is the place where our desires are met and where our dreams are fulfilled. Truth be told, when this philosopy runs it course in our lives we find ourselves empty and heartbroken with a string of broken relationships and unfulfilled expectations (all of which we blame on God). In order to be a person of Vocation or a child of God on Vocation we must learn that we are called to serve and love in and through our family relationships. Our first order of business in the home is those who are not ourselves! It might be wise to cosider how we are doing in this area? Husbands are called to love our wives as Christ has loved the church. Wives are called to submit to and respect our husbands. Children are called to obey our parents and care for them in their older age with respect and honor. Find your part in this story of God and assess how you are doing!
Of course, our vocation extends beyond the home into our work place and culture at large. Keep in mind that the principles that form both are, in most cases, antithetical to Kingdom principles and Godly desires. For instance, first thing on Monday morning, your boss may ask you to fudge a bit on the numbers to make the quarter look better. Or, perhaps your neighbor confides in you in relationship to some activity that is shady at best. Or maybe its more subtle. Perhaps you just decide to withold information that will not hurt someone else but would decidely benefit you and your career. At nearly every turn we are challenged to sell out to modern practices and forsake our vocation for the convenience of compormise and the ease of self will. Maybe this week we should think closely about Abraham again and the call of God on his life (and lineage) to be a blessing to others. Of course, we can find this truth in the New Testatment from the very mouth of Christ as He tells us that the commandment upon which all others hinge is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . and love your neighbor as yourself.” There is our calling card and our route to a life of vocation in our work and culture. Self Check: how are we doing with the whole thing about 'loving our neighbors?' Does my presence benefit and bless them or distract and curse them?
And, last but not least, we all have vocation or calling to be fulfilled within the local body of believers. The Bible is full of exhortations that remind us of our calling as a 'body' and the fact that it trumps our calling as an 'individual.' We are not called to be islands unto ourselves, but communities of faith sharing life and experiencing God's purposes together. The Bible goes as far as to teach that if you are in a local body of believers then you have a unique calling and purpose that God intends and desires you to fulfill in that ministry! So, are you involved in the local ministry? Are you generously giving your time, talents and treasure to the fulfillment of the plan of God through your local church?
Next weeknd, on Sept. 26th, we are offering a great seminar to help you explore all of these areas of vocation. Sign up now by calling the church and invite a friend who might be struggling with their vocation as well!
Living Vocation!
Biz
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