What Does It Mean to Be "Called"?

For this reason, we cannot simply say, "Do what makes you happy." What makes you happy—or seems to make you happy—might be far from meeting the needs of the world, or using your skills and gifts for the common good, or even from fulfilling your true desires. And the opposite is often true. The work that would fulfill your true desire may appear at first to be undesirable, and may require great sacrifice and difficult labor. And your truest desires may be met in many areas of life, not necessarily in work. Knowing what you truly desire requires spiritual maturity, perhaps more than you may have at the moment you're facing a decision. But at least you can get rid of the idea that God only calls you to something you hate. In this light, Frederick Buechner writes: "The place God calls you to is where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."

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2D) Freedom in Christ

These three considerations—the needs of the world, your skills and gifts, and your truest desires—are guides, but they are not absolutes. For one thing, in a fallen world, you may have very little ability to choose your job anyway. Throughout history, most people have had the job of slave, farmer, or homemaker, and that is still the case in much of the world outside the most developed countries. It is hard to imagine that—residents of a few developed countries aside—God wants most people to be slaves, farmers, or homemakers. Rather, it seems that circumstances prevent most people from choosing jobs they truly desire to do. This is not to imply that some people don't or shouldn't enjoy farming, homemaking, or any other kind of legitimate work, but rather that the circumstances of the world dictate that many people work in jobs they don't like. Yet, under God's care, even being a slave can be a blessing (Matthew 24:45-47; 1 Corinthians 7:21-24). In no way does this legitimize slavery in today's world. It simply means that God is with you wherever you work. It may be better to learn to like the job you have—and to find ways to participate in Christ's work in it—than to try to find a job you think you'll like better.

Even in developed economies, many people have little choice about the kind of work they do for a living, The Christian community would do well to equip people both to make choices about their profession, and to follow God's leading in whatever work we find ourselves doing. Whatever your job, God's gifts enable you to work for the common good, to find more contentment in your work, and to overcome or endure the negative aspects of your situation. Most importantly, God promises eventual liberation from work's toil, sweaty labor, and thistles.

Even if you do have the freedom to choose your job, the three considerations we have been considering—the needs of the world, your gifts and skills, and your truest desires—are guides, not dictators. In Christ, believers have perfect freedom:

That means you have the freedom to take risks, to fail, and to make mistakes. God might lead you to a job you know nothing about, have no present knack for, and don't think you'd like. Would you be willing to take that job? Conversely, you might discover late in life that you missed God's professional calling for you. Take heart, at the end, you will not be judged on getting the right job or fulfilling your God-given potential. You will be judged on the merits of Jesus Christ, applied to you only by God's grace in giving you faith. The calling to belong to Christ is God's only indispensable calling.

The body of Christ on earth is the community of believers (Romans 12:5). Therefore, freedom in Christ means that God's calling or leading is best discerned in dialogue with the community, not in isolation. We have already seen that the needs of the world (one form of community) are important as you discern what kind of work God is leading you toward. The community is also an important factor in how you discern God's leading. What do others perceive as God's leading for you? What do they experience as your gifts and skills, the needs of the world, and the deepest desires they discern in you? Engage in discussions about God's leading with those in your community who know you well. It may be wise to talk with a spiritual companion or advisor, to gather feedback from people you work closely with, or to ask a group of people to meet with you regularly as you discern God's leading.