Summing it all up

As we have seen from Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of this series, in the kingdom of God, work is not a career we choose, but a calling we answer. 

When we realize this, we can forget all the world’s sappy platitudes like, “If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life,” and “you can do anything you like if you put your mind to it,” neither of which are true and both of which will lead to frustration and disappointment in your work. Save yourself the dissappointment.

Work is a calling

Work isn’t about us; it’s about God’s kingdom. We don’t choose it based on our passion, or money, or identity. We answer it because God called us to it. We choose to answer and obey.

When we realize work is a calling, work becomes sacred. All called work is sacred because of its source, not because of subject matter. That means there is no divide between so-called sacred work and secular work. All work is meaningful, and no called work is better than any other called work.

We all have a calling, and it is what we were made to do. “We are His workmanship; created in Christ Jesus for good works.” Ephesians 2:10. That is why we will never be as fulfilled doing what we want to do as we will be doing what we were made to do.

How this changes everything

When we answer the calling of vocation in our lives, it changes everything. 

No job is without stress and unpleasantness. That is life in a fallen world.

But when we answer God’s calling in our vocation, our work becomes sustaining, energizing, and satisfying. Like Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work.” John 4:34.

And when we arrive at the end of our working lives, we will have something more than a resume.

We will have the satisfaction of knowing we have glorified God on the earth because we accomplished the work He has given us to do. John 17:4. GS