Called By God

They threw the Sunday School book out the window for my class at church, and give different people subjects to speak on. This month the subject is work, and they come at it and how it relates to Christians from different ways. Not sure how they will get a whole month out of it - guess they will have to really WORK at it. :-)

Steve Goodenow has been teaching this month, and as he always does, has been doing a great job. It just isn't fair that one family has all that intelligence! They have been a great addition to the church and school since they came our way a few years back. Steve put up different areas that jobs fall under: Discovering Truth, Interpreting Truth, Implementing Truth, Restoring Truth, etc, and we had to come up with jobs that fit into each category. For instance, science came under Discovering Truth, police & government and the like came in under restoring truth. I did however, disagree with his closing statements, but he left no time for discussion or disagreement - and he will most likely read this, so I am not talking behind his back. :-)

His closing thesis is that we are all called by God to do certain jobs. We tend to set preachers, Christian School teachers, and missionaries in a separate category, as "called", and the rest of us as not called. He further stated that whatever job God calls us to, we should stay there until He calls us somewhere else, and not move on for just better pay.

Now since he gave no opportunity in class, I am going to disagree with him on here. :-) I do believe that we should seek God's will on what kind of work we do, and where we move to do it, but for most of us, I don't believe God calls us to any particular work. He may call some to be something outside of the religious work, but overall, I don't think we are called to any certain work.

I have had several jobs in my life, and really never felt God calling me to any of them. I did move on for better pay, or better circumstances, and most of the time felt God worked it out, or it was just time to move on, but I never felt called to the new job, or the old one.

Looking back, the type of work I enjoyed the most, was working at the Christian Bookstore. There was something satisfying about finding a book, CD, or just a song, for someone. Sadly, circumstances got to where I couldn't stand working there, but of all the jobs I had, that one had the most satisfying moments. But was I called there? To be honest, I didn't even pray about taking the job. I needed one, was offered one, and took it. And to be more honest, since I am currently working just part-time, I would most likely take the first job that was in my abilities to do, and where I did not have to work Sundays, that came along. I wouldn't dream of wondering if I were called to it.

I think preachers, Christian School teachers, and missionaries are a different breed. Often, their service to God takes them far from family, friends, and the familiar. Sometimes it seems they have absolutely no control over where they will be called next. But people like me - I look for work in my area. At this point, I don't think there is any way I would move away from here again unless God practically wrote it in the sky. Am I waiting for God to call me to some job? No. I am trying to find whatever is available that is within my abilities to do, and one that will allow me to have Sundays free.

Just because I disagree with Steve, doesn't mean I don't believe God can call people to secular work. I believe there are doctors and nurses who are called of God, and very likely other professions, but all of us? Nope, don't believe it.

I do believe we should all seek God's will and blessing on a new job, and we should never move where there is no church similar to what we attend, and should be careful what kind of place we are moving family to. We are all called to serve, and if our job is serving God, then we are called of God to do that: serve.

Sorry I disagree with you Steve, and hope you still like me!