Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-5, Exodus 31:1-6, Acts 13:2
Now that we understand that the ultimate calling in the Bible is the call to follow Jesus, we are ready to explore calling to specific kinds of work.
If by “calling,” we mean a direct, unmistakable command from God to take up a particular task, job, profession or type of work, then calling is very rare in the Bible. No more than a hundred or so people the Bible received an individual call from God to an exact job. God called Noah to build the ark. God called Moses and Aaron to their tasks. He called prophets such as Samuel, Jeremiah and Amos. He called Abram and Sarah and a few others to undertake journeys or to relocate. He placed people in political leadership including Gideon, Saul and David. God chose Bezalel and Oholiab as craftsmen for the tabernacle. Jesus called the apostles and some other of his disciples, and the Holy Spirit called Barnabas and Saul to be missionaries. The word “call” is not always used, but the unmistakable direction of God for a particular person to do a particular job is clear in these cases.
This suggests that a dramatic calling from God is also infrequent today, though it can certainly happen. Moving forward, we’ll instead focus on how God guides or leads people to particular types of work through less obvious means.
Video: Watch the four minute film about “Hunting Creativity” with innovation consultant Barry Saunders. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBJLuHo4_pc
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know that not everyone receives a calling to a specific job. However, I pray that you would open my eyes, ears, heart and spirit to be filled with the knowledge of your will. I pray for wisdom to follow you in the work I am currently doing. Help me to walk in obedience to the things that you show me. Amen.
Author: Theology of Work Project
Theology of Work Project Online Materials by Theology of Work Project, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.theologyofwork.org
You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work) for non-commercial use only, under the condition that you must attribute the work to the Theology of Work Project, Inc., but not in any way that suggests that it endorses you or your use of the work.
© 2014 by the Theology of Work Project, Inc.
Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.
