Our Calling
by Hugh Whelchel

Reading

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."  I Timothy 6:12

Reflection

What is our calling? Is that different from our jobs as Christian public servants?

The Reformers, including John Calvin and Martin Luther, understood the term “calling” to mean believing upon and following Christ into eternal life. It’s a call to be faithful to him in every part of our lives to bring about the kingdom of God. This is our primary calling.

But this primary calling encompasses many secondary callings including:

1. Our duty to our family.

2. Our responsibility to build the body of Christ through church with our spiritual gifts.

3. Our participation in society for the common good in social, civic, and ecclesiastical roles.

4. Our faithfulness in our vocations or everyday work. God measures this not by what type of work we do, but through our attitudes and efforts toward our daily occupations.

So the word “calling” does not apply solely to work. But work that we do every single day as Christian public servants is a very important aspect of our overarching call to follow Christ and bring about his kingdom.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for giving me such a variety of different ways to serve you. Thank you for my family, my community, my church, and my work. Thank you that my work for you continues even when I leave the office, and help me to stay on task and be a blessing wherever I am. Amen.

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CLS is collaborating with the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics to provide first-class devotionals for CLS members twice a month. Hugh Whelchel is Executive Director of the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) Christian research organization committed to promoting biblical and economic principles that help individuals find fulfillment in their work and contribute to a free and flourishing society.