“What am I supposed to do with my life? What is my calling? Is there a specific path I’m supposed to follow?”
These questions plague us. They first creep into our minds as adolescents when we are forced to consider life outside of our family’s home. They nag at us when we begin our first part-time job or when we plan for university education. They scream at us as soon as we complete graduation exercises or walk into our first day of “grown-up” employment, staring down the barrel of adulthood.
There are stacks of books published every year full of bromides and aphorisms about “finding your path” and “being true to yourself.” There’s a cottage publishing industry devoted to helping people pursue their dream/destiny. Of the writing of books about purpose and self-fulfillment, there is no end, even (especially?) in Christian publishing circles.
Perhaps a better question is, “Does each of us have a set of common roles we must fulfill or callings we can pursue?” One very helpful answer to these questions can be found in Gene Veith’s excellent volume, God at Work.
In God at Work, Veith discusses the often-ignored doctrine of vocation, or the callings that God puts on our lives as believers. It’s important to note that callings here is plural; Veith explains that every Christian has several roles to fulfill throughout their lives, and that these may change through different seasons and situations.
Veith begins by discussing how Christians have considered the doctrine of vocation throughout the history of the church. He contrasts the medieval attitude of “calling” being restricted to holy orders with the Reformers’ teaching that all people are called by God to do good, to serve and love their neighbors, and to honor God in any station of life. This, then, becomes the lens through which the rest of the book is discussed: How do we as Christians honor God and love and serve our neighbors in all the vocations of our life?
The first arena of vocation that Veith discusses is the one most often associated with the doctrine of vocation: the workplace. Here, he explores the nature of work in the aftermath of the Fall of Man, and how the Gospel of Jesus redeems and renews work for Christians. Next, Veith looks at our roles in the family unit, and the nature of our calling as spouses, parents, and children. The next two chapters examine our callings as citizens of a secular nation and citizens of a heavenly kingdom (expressed on earth in the local church), and how we should embrace and not shrink from both of these roles.
Veith closes out this slim volume by considering the difficult questions of vocation, including standing firm in ethical challenges, bearing up under hardship, and stepping away from vocation when it is appropriate.
I must admit, I have had an uninformed understanding of the doctrine of vocation for most of my life. While my thoughts on vocation were not necessarily limited to the workplace, they certainly weren’t as fleshed out as they ought to have been. Veith’s approachable and engaging examination of the subject challenged me to consider with new eyes my roles in the world as a follower of Jesus and ambassador of the Gospel. I heartily commend God at Work to you and hope that you will be as encouraged and challenged as I was in reading it.
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