One of our granddaughters recently graduated from firefighter school. We’re proud of her, knowing the important services she will provide for people in emergency situations. We see the work of first responders in the news, and numerous TV shows reflect some of the intensity of their jobs, but I wonder how many of us fully appreciate the wonderful – and dangerous – work they do.
Frankly, I can’t imagine following that career path myself, even if I were younger and a career change were an option. But that’s the wonderful thing about our differences as individuals: We each possess unique gifts, skills and passions. It’s truly a blessing when we have opportunities to pursue them and put them into use in the form of a vocation.
The word “vocation” actually comes from the Latin verb “voco/vocare,” which means “to call.” From this we have the term “calling,” which typically refers to the unique, special work one feels called to devote their lives to doing. We’ve all heard of musicians, composers and artists who demonstrated unusual talents at early ages. They had little choice in the matter – it’s what they were born to do.
In my case, I grew up being a prolific reader and from that developed a strong desire to write. I remember assigning myself writing projects, just for fun, even in my pre-teen years. The encouragement from my English teachers and then the training I gained in journalism school fanned this into a passion and before long, my calling was clear.
Often people have said to me, “I don’t know how you can write.” To which I’ve responded, depending on who I was talking with, “Well, I don’t know how you can fix a leaky faucet/repair a car/perform surgery/teach middle school students/fly an airplane.”
Recognizing one’s calling, fueled by passion, can lead to a successful, enjoyable career. In fact, someone has said – I’ve forgotten the source but it’s too good not to share – “Passion tops talent. Throw your heart over the fence and your body will follow.”
This may be one reason that sometimes folks who graduated at the top of their class might not be nearly as accomplished as people who didn’t earn as high grades. Their passion for what they do has carried them to greater heights.
Sometimes one’s work doesn’t align with their passion. Ideally work and passion can align, but that’s often not the case. I knew a CPA who was very good at his job, but his passion was music. He knew he could never earn as much as a musician as he did producing spreadsheets and crunching numbers. So, he plied his trade as a corporate accountant during the week, then performed in a band on the weekend. For him, it was win-win.
But there’s an even more important way that passion can guide us to our calling and make it even more fulfilling. It’s by recognizing that the gifts, talents, abilities and opportunities we have were given to us by God. It’s appropriate, then, to dedicate what we do to the Lord. In this way, we not only enjoy what we’re doing, but we also bring honor and glory to Him in the process.
The Bible has much to say about this. Here is just a sampling of passages that relate to our work and calling:
Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Then, just a few verses later, the apostle Paul reaffirms, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24).
The story is told of the stonemason centuries ago who was busily laying bricks for a new church. Someone asked what he was doing, to which he proudly replied, “I’m building a cathedral!” If only more people took such delight in their work today. We read these words of agreement in 1 Corinthians 3:9, “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
Then we have the admonition Paul gave to his protégé Timothy – and to us: “[God] who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace…” (2 Timothy 1:9). The Lord first called us to be His children, and then gave to each us a unique calling in which we can serve Him and others.
Like the stonemason, our calling – fueled by passion and the power of the Holy Spirit – can enable us to build a cathedral!
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