Oops. Hmmm... I guess this is where I smoked myself out, hur? Point taken, Uncle. And now I'm opening it up. *read, read, read and blows nose* Whoa. I should have read through these notes first before launching out on my meandering muses. They're like a good map. So I'll share a brief summary what I've learnt from these notes with you guys. Here goes!
(And haha, looks from the notes like I'm still on track with some of my thoughts... LOL.)
The healthy and biblical view of work: (This is a great statement. Read each word carefully...)
God has gifted and prepared us for meaningful, fulfilling and purposeful work. Work is a tool that God has given us to be effective for Him and to fulfill His purpose.
Need for clarification:
Many terms are used on this subject of marketplace ministry and its related topics. We cover some of the terms here under 3 broad headings:
- VOCATION, CAREER and JOB
- WORK
- MINISTRY, MARKETPLACE MINISTRY and SPHERES OF INFLUENCE IN SOCIETY
VOCATION
Ephesians 4:1
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling (vocation) you have received.
- What is vocation? Vocation comes from the Latin vocare which means "to call".
- Vocation is the big picture of God's call to us - it includes the concept of one's purpose, mission, destiny and calling. This is the big picture that many often miss out on.
- This "life calling" answers one of the deepest questions of life: "Why am I here?"
- Life calling is not career planning or vocational choice per se.
It's about "What do I need to do with my life to accomplish God's great plan on earth?" - It includes our being and our doing as we respond to God's call.
- Our life calling is then expressed in specific vocations e.g. personal life, family, work, church ministry, community and nation.
- Every Christian has a "life calling" ("vocation") from God.
- It is important to discover God's specific call for you.
- Dan Miller, author of 48 Days to the Work You Love, says: "A calling is... not so much pursuing a goal as it is listening for a voice. [...] .. the way to know how God is preparing you to be effective is to pay attention to what He has revealed to you, by the uniqueness you have."
- Whether you're going to enter, or you are already in the marketplace, it is crucial to know His call for you. This call is not just about what He wants you to do in your workplace, but His life calling for you.
- As you discover this, you would be able to make wise career choices.
CAREER
- Career is an occupation / profession that requires some form of training.
- It is not vocation; it is a subset of vocation.
- A career is a line of work but not the only way to fulfill your calling.
- You can hold different careers at different points in your life, or be involved in a few careers that fulfill your calling.
E.g. God has called you to help reduce pain and suffering. That is His calling for you. Within that vocation, you can be a counsellor, pastor, politician, doctor, nurse, etc. There are about 10 to 15 careers within a vocation. Therefore, when you're about to change careers, simply take a fresh look at your vocation and find a new application.
JOB
- A job is the specific application of a career.
- It is the most specific and immediate of the 3 terms (vocation, career and job).
- A job is not the identification of a person's calling; it is the application of it. It is a post of employment.
- This means that we do not have to consider a job so important, that if it is taken away, it means the end of the vocation. Rather, God's call still stands - it is just being expressed in different forms of employment.
- An average person may have 14 to 16 different jobs in his/her lifetime.
- Therefore, though the job cannot be the critical definition of a person's calling / vocation, it should ideally be an expression of that calling and an integration of a person's ministry.
- The mistake that many people make is that of just getting a job and planning their lives around it.
- They choose careers and jobs based on what is available, travelling conveniences, promotional opportunities, monetary offers, etc, rather than their callings.
- Rather, God wants us to fulfill His purpose through our work.
Whoa! Those notes really helped me understand so much more clearly. :) Reading again from the notes, it's not only about what He wants us to do in our workplaces, but also His life calling for us. I felt really encouraged and thankful when I read these points, because firstly, I am reassured that I am living out God's calling for my life, and secondly, very thankful for my shepherd who taught me these principles, about looking for a job that can help fulfill God's calling for my life. :)
Dear friend, do you know God's specific life calling for you yet? He really does have a plan for you... and all of your days were already written in his book before one of them came to be!
If you don't know yet, I strongly encourage you to sit down and wait upon God to show you, no matter how long it takes! It may take a week, it may take months, or even years... but God will surely reward those who earnestly seek Him! :) I know... it took me about more than a year of persistent waiting upon God, but He showed me His specific calling for me in increasingly clear ways. And when you discover His calling for you, you will sing and dance, saying, "So this is what I was meant to do all along!"
Jeremiah 29:11-13:)So do you know His vocation for you, or are you still stuck in a dead-end job? Wait no more! Call upon Him quickly at Jeremiah 33:2-3 - operators are standing by!
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 33:2-3
This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'
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