By Steve Harper
Living vocationally does not mean living with certainty as much as it means living with trust–trust that God can use us in more than one way, and faith that the current way is an acceptable one.
Thomas Merton reflected often about his vocation, writing once in his journal, “Why am I always unsatisfied, and wanting to know what is my vocation if it is my vocation to stay here reading, praying, and writing and sometimes teaching a class?”
His words not only accurately described my current reality in retirement, they also reignited a confidence in owning these simple acts as “vocational.” Moreover, Merton’s words reminded me that we never know our vocation by endless speculation or second-guessing everything we do.
In other words, we have to land somewhere–choose something specific–and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, either by confirmation or amendment. Never to be specific leaves us confused, and leaves the Holy Spirit with no basis for speaking with us about how we are supposed to live our lives.
So, God says, “Do something, and then we can talk.”
Steve Harper is a retired seminary professor who taught for 32 years in the disciplines of spiritual formation and Wesley Studies. He is the author or co-author of 29 books. This post originally appeared on his blog Obeodire.
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