“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.  You are serving the Lord Christ.” - Colossians 3:23,24

 “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.” – 1 Corinthians 7:17

It is a common (although often unspoken) belief among Christians that God “calls” pastors and missionaries to their work, but not other jobs and professions – like being a teacher, lawyer, mechanic, or stay-at-home mom.  The belief or assumption is that church work is service to the Lord, but not other work.  This is not true!

The Bible teaches that God calls his people to all kinds of work.  Theologians call this the “doctrine of vocation”.  Vocation simply means “calling”.  The doctrine of vocation teaches that every Christian is called to specific work, through which God himself cares for and governs the world.

God protects us through police officers.  God teaches us through teachers.  God provides means of travel for us through auto mechanics and engineers.  God raises and teaches children through parents. 

Martin Luther called our vocations the “masks of God”.  On the surface, we see an ordinary human face—our mother, the doctor, the teacher, the waitress, our pastor—but, beneath the appearances, God is ministering to us through them.  God is hidden in human vocations.

Gene Veith, when speaking of the doctrine of vocation, says, “When God blesses us, He almost always does it through other people.  The ability to read God’s Word is an inexpressibly precious blessing, but reading is an ability that did not spring fully-formed in our young minds.  It required the vocation of teachers.  God protects us through the cop on the beat…He gives us beauty and meaning through artists.  He lets us travel through the ministry of auto workers, mechanics, road crews and car dealers.  He keeps us clean through the work of trash collectors, plumbers, sanitation workers and the sometimes undocumented aliens who clean our hotel rooms.  He heals through doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.  He brings people to salvation through pastors and through anyone else who preaches the gospel.  The fast-food worker, the inventor, the clerical assistant, the scientist, the accountant, the musician—they are all high callings, used by God to bless and serve His people and His creation.”

So all work is important to God, and God calls His people to all kinds of work in order to bless people.  While most of us place ourselves at the center of our work, under the assumption that the work we do is all about ourselves (what we want to do and how we want to prosper), the doctrine of vocation puts God and others at the center of our work (what God calls us to do to help His creation prosper).