Holy Vocation

There is a funny thing I've noticed when I talk to people about my career choice.  When I talk about being an engineer people have all kinds of questions about roads and bridges.  They have a curiosity about how projects get done and what I am doing to fix the problems with roads that they use regularly.  People are intrigued by my engineering and even passionate about roads.  It seems everyone is a traffic engineer giving me advice on how to fix roads and signals.

But when I tell people I'm leaving behind engineering for ministry, currently attending seminary, they get quiet and serious.  Their demeanor changes.  They tip-toe around their speech; hide their beer behind the napkin dispenser; apologize for saying, 'shucks.'  It's not that they disagree with my views (though they probably would if we started talking more); but it is like they somehow feel that suddenly they are in holy company and they should remove their sandals and only speak in reverent tones.

But why should this be different for any believer?  We are a priesthood of believers; everywhere we go we are ambassadors for Christ.  Everything we do represents God in us.  Whether we are computer programmers, pastors, engineers, homemakers, or street hot-dog vendors, we have the amazing privilege to bring that holy passion for God to whatever career venture we choose.  People should see our work no matter where we are as a high calling; something we take seriously and do with joy and excellence.

So enlivened by the importance of this task is a friend from seminary who determined he was going to drop out of his pastoral pursuits and get a job as a marketing manager in downtown Minneapolis.  He is one of the brightest guys in our cohort with incredible maturity and he decided he could better glorify God by mingling with the downtown professionals at an entry level professional career position.  While I am saddened that our class is losing such a bright mind, I am thrilled about a guy who really wants the light of Christ to shine in a normal office job.  He has a holy ambition to make Christ known even in a cubicle.

Just a couple weeks after I heard this news from my friend an elder at church preached on the high calling of the work of every believer.  It was both encouraging and convicting.  Not-working is dehumanizing.  We were made to reflect God's work in creation by being at work with creative joy ourselves.  We are to provide for our families with contentment as God provides for us.

During the last year of my struggling to know what I am doing here I often wanted to quit my job so I could devote more time to studying, get more involved in ministry, and spend more time with my wife and kids.  I thought that my job was a hindrance to what was more important and prayed regularly for God to provide some other means of provision so I wouldn't have to work. But I have been convicted that the job keeps me connected to God in a more personal and satisfying way.  I get the pleasure of representing Christ to people in downtown Minneapolis.  I get the honor of showing what excellent work looks like from someone with a heavenly perspective.  I get to taste the goodness of providing with my hands and my mind for my family.

One thing from the sermon that really caught my attention applied to our motivation for hard work.  The world works hard to earn something; a raise, a promotion, a paycheck to buy more things.  It is a merit system in which we tie up our identities.  Who we are becomes defined by our position, our income, and our toys.  Or, the job is simply a necessary evil means to something else more enjoyable.  For me, it was just the thing that provided me the opportunity to do what I preferred to do, being in a classroom and reading books.

But work should be different for the believer.  We don't work dutifully for approval or personal gain, but we work diligently from approval and gain.  Everything we need was earned for us in Christ.  God will provide for us everything that is necessary for contentment in Him.  From there we can put in hard work during the day and find great peace and satisfaction in the work because we aren't doing it to gain anything but to simply reflect what has already been gained for us.

My eyes are continually being opened to the blessing which is my current engineering job.  God ordained it as a means of abundant provision for my family, but it has also taught me more about continuing to be in the world and savoring the opportunity to image his diligent, creative activity in the world.  He has given me a platform to share the gospel to people this country boy would have never had access to.  God forgive me when I complain about the high calling of cubicle work and give me a holy ambition to shine your creative light on the streets of downtown Minneapolis.

Not Done with My Fishing

Immediately they left their nets and followed him. (Matthew 4:20, ESV)

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. (Matthew 13:47)

However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself. (Matthew 17:27)

 

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but hthat night they caught nothing.

 

4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples idid not know that it was Jesus. 5 jJesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 kHe said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. (John 21:3-6)

A short while ago, I had written on Jesus' call on the lives of the disciples to drop what they are doing and follow Him.  I was amazed at the immediate willingness of the disciples to drop what they were doing and follow an unknown path.  They were willing to give up their livelihoods, everything they knew to survive in order to follow Christ.  I felt at the time that I was in the same place; being asked to give up everything that had been educated in which provided for my family in order to take the step of faith to become a more full-time disciple and teacher.

However, the events of the last couple of weeks and another look at the gospels revealed something to me.  While the disciples did immediately drop their nets and follow Jesus, leaving behind everything that they had known, Jesus did not remove them completely from their past.  Throughout his three years teaching and preparing them, the disciples still found themselves often using their boating and fishing skills and Jesus used those experiences to illustrate important teaching.

Their years of fishing wasn't a waste of time.  In fact, in His providence, God ordained long before calling them that they would become fishermen, gaining much knowledge and many skills which would be important for kingdom work further on in their lives.

It would seem that God is now doing the same thing in my own life.  When I applied to Seminary and desired to move on into full-time ministry, I assumed I would be leaving engineering behind.  I had never known anyone to be a part-time engineer, especially the type of engineering which was a secondary career.  The engineers I know needed to be committed and available far more than the part-time schedule I would have available.

I did learn some very important things in my years as an engineer.  God used it to prepare me to be a better communicator, to be more confident, to understand people better, and to have ministry opportunities.  But I didn't see it having a continuing impact on my future ministry life.

Yet, just like Jesus had the disciples back in their boats, He has chosen to keep me back in the drawing room during my intensive discipleship period.  As it turns out my years of experience as an engineer were quite marketable in the engineering world and God has abundantly provided a well-paying part-time engineering job for my four years in seminary.  It will be more than enough to cover costs of living and care for my growing family.

I couldn't understand how this was all going to work together; what was the point of my engineering, how was I going to provide for my family?  It is all becoming clearer and I see that it is a path that God has used before with preparing His disciples for great ministry.

I am so privileged to be used by God; so thankful to experience His providence in such a remarkable way.  Through this risky step of faith I've seen God work more powerfully and experienced Him more personally than I ever realized was possible.  I can't shout loudly or sing sweetly enough to praise Him for His abundant blessing.