My "Calling" is my Neighbor

WRITTEN BY DREW MATZ

Why “Ordinary” Jobs are Always Extraordinary for Christians

Seeking God’s will for one’s life may be among the top issues that a young Christian man or woman may be wrestling with. The constant barrage of ideas coming from both the Church and secular culture can leave one very confused about what it means to seek God’s will. We spend months, even years trying to discern what we are called to do. And yet, for many young Christians, it seems we are no closer to discovering his will for our lives. But what if we’re thinking about this question in the wrong way altogether? Perhaps it is not so much about what he has called me to do as it is who has he called me to serve where I am now. Perhaps God remains ever present, hidden but working in the seemingly medial tasks of everyday life.

Vocation

God works through means, and much of the time, his means are people. The question for the young believer who is discerning a vocational path is not so much “where is God calling me” as it is “who is my neighbor?” In other words, God’s will is fulfilled within whatever occupation he has called you. This station, or vocation, is the place where we are to serve God and neighbor from within. It is where the Christian love for neighbor is made manifest in the world. As one might say, God is just as much at work in the butcher, the baker, and candlestick maker! Each of these vocations, though requiring different things, are made explicitly Christian in that they are worked out in love for God and neighbor (Mark 10:42-45). They are all Christian callings in that they are all done in service to others, each being a unique expression of that sacrificial service. 

Where God Hides

As Christians, we often look for the spiritual to be expressed in extravagance. We look for signs, feelings, and miracles. We look for God to burst forth in our lives and tell us what to do and what path to take. However, when we expect such explicit direction from God, we miss him in the work he is doing in the ordinary. His sovereignty and care for all people are upheld through all callings, which have been made holy by the work of Jesus. Through doctors and nurses he cares for the sick. Through pastors and church workers he feeds his people. Through the mechanic he gets people where they need to be. Each one distributing his good gifts to the world in different ways, and each taking up the cross for their neighbor. This is the way in which God has set up creation; it flourishes in the midst of relationships. Every vocation is necessary, yet every vocation is also dependent. Therefore, any occupation becomes our calling when our work is done with hands of faith, serving our neighbor in whom Christ is present (Matthew 25:40).