The Doctrine of Vocation

Type of Doctrine: Secondary or Tertiary

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

-Colossians 3:23-24 ESV

Why Does It Matter?

What does God think about my job? Which job should I do? Should I be fulfilled by my job? How should I think about seasons in life when I don't have a job (e.g., students, stay-at-home parents, retirees, etc.)? Am I loving my neighbor through my job? This article will focus on the doctrine of vocation.

The specific interpretation of this doctrine is often understood as a secondary or tertiary doctrine. Typically, however, it would be understood as a tertiary doctrine since it wouldn't affect the church one chooses to join.

What Is It?

The word "vocation" can be defined as "a strong feeling of fitness for a particular career or occupation," "a person's employment," and "a trade or profession" (Oxford English Reference Dictionary, 1618). In other words, the word vocation is often used to mean one's career, or job. The doctrine of vocation includes your career, but it's more than that.

Have you ever heard someone say, "I feel called to do ____?” Often, particularly for those in church or parachurch vocations, people refer to having a "divine call" to do their work. According to the New Dictionary of Theology, the idea of being called by God appears in the Old Testament numerous times (e.g., Abraham, Moses, the prophets, and the people of God); in the New Testament, the idea can be seen as well (e.g., a call to follow Jesus or to salvation) (711).

Where is work found in Scripture? Work appears on the first few pages of Holy Scripture. Work is not a negative thing which came out of the fall of humankind. Instead, there is work involved in God's mandate, "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth'" (Gen. 1:26; emphasis mine). In fact, in Genesis 2:15 we learn, "The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it." Therefore, God created work prior to the Fall. Moreover, God even models work and rest in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2.

Unfortunately, after the Fall, work has been dramatically affected by sin. Birth is now difficult (Gen. 3:16). At times, relationships will be difficult (Gen. 3:16). Working the ground, and by implication this extends to all jobs, is now difficult (Gen. 3:17-19). But when Jesus comes back and ushers in the new heavens and the new earth, all of this pain and difficult toil will be removed (John Piper covers this in more detail in this podcast titled, "Will We Work in Eternity?").

However, at present, we run into a problem when we consider this question: How do I fulfill this divine call in the fallen world (New Dictionary of Theology, 711)? Enter Martin Luther; Luther wrestled deeply with this issue, and he "rejected three false solutions" (Ibid.):

1. The first false solution was the medieval one. They thought that there were two main groups: monks and laity.

2. The second false solution was rejecting law and contracting out the responsibility of government.

3. The third false solution is that the church would have a powerful, secularized political role (Ibid.).

What, then, did Luther consider the solution? "He argued for the NT [i.e., New Testament] distinction between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world (God and Caesar)" (Ibid.). What is the difference? The kingdom of God is connected to faith while the kingdom of this world is connected to loving your neighbor (Ibid.).

This is the crucial point that is actually pretty life-changing (at least it has been for me): You love your neighbor and exercise your Christian vocation through the offices that you have in this world (e.g., singles, spouses, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, grandparents, teachers, stay-at-home parents, managers, CEOs, salespersons, pastors, theologians, assembly-line workers, retail cashiers, CPAs, lawyers, soldiers, government officials, politicians, etc.).

You love your neighbor and exercise your Christian vocation through the offices that you have in this world.

Put simply, mothers you are loving your neighbor(s) through your Christian vocation of taking care of your children. Fathers, you are loving your neighbor(s) by parenting your children. Spouses, you are loving your neighbor in the vocation of marriage (just one neighbor that is!). Singles, you are loving your neighbor through your vocation of singleness. Businessmen and businesswomen, you are loving your neighbors by performing your job (of course assuming that the product or service is not sinful). Government workers and politicians, you are loving your neighbor through your vocation. Soldiers, you are loving your neighbor though your vocation. Pastors and theologians, you are loving your neighbors through your vocation. Teachers, police officers, IT professionals, customer service representatives, students, authors, salespeople, and firefighters (and everyone else): you are loving your neighbors through your vocations.

Sometimes I think we only consider our careers good, and spiritual, if we are constantly sharing the gospel with our coworkers. (Admittedly, I want to see the gospel spread far and wide!) But here is something to think about: If you are doing your vocation to love your neighbor and for the glory of God (Col. 3:23-24), then you are not wasting time as you attempt to fulfill your responsibilities to the best of your ability (that is, as long as the motive is not selfish). Some live with guilt; perhaps, they are thinking, "I can't do big things for Jesus right now, because I am trying to raise kids, make sales, make a product, write code, lead a team, etc." You are doing a big thing! You are loving your neighbor!

In fact, that type of work is not divorced from the gospel. Instead, it is connected to the gospel. We don't truly, selflessly love our neighbors through our various vocations unless we have been transformed by the good news of Jesus Christ. Otherwise, we will find ourselves over and over again using vocations for some selfish motive (e.g., greed, fame, comfort, power, approval, etc.). In fact, as Tim Keller points out in a podcast from Desiring God (click here to listen), the gospel transforms your motives, attitudes, work ethic, and more; in short, gospel-centered workers are great employees.

In his book Every Good Endeavor, Tim Keller explains the doctrine of vocation by connecting your work to God's work. (For more detail on how your work connects to God's work please buy this book!) Keller summarizes the design of work powerfully,

In short, work--and lots of it--is an indispensable component in a meaningful human life. It is a supreme gift from God and one of the main things that gives our lives purpose. But it must play its proper role, subservient to God. It must regularly give way not just to work stoppage for bodily repair but also to joyful reception of the world and of ordinary life. 

This may seem obvious to us. We say, "Of course work is important, and of course it isn't the only thing in life." But it is crucial to grasp these truths well. For in a fallen world, work is frustrating and exhausting; one can easily jump to the conclusion that work is to be avoided or simply endured. And because our disordered hearts crave affirmation and validation, it is just as tempting to be thrust in the opposite direction--making life all about career accomplishment and very little else. In fact, overwork is often a grim attempt to get our lifetime's worth of work out of the way early, so we can put work behind us. These attitudes will only make work more stultifying and unsatisfying in the end.

When we think, "I hate work!" we should remember that, despite the fact that work can be a particularly potent reminder (and even amplifier) of the curse of sin on all things, it is not itself a curse. We were built for it and freed by it. But when we feel that our lives are completely absorbed by work, remember that we must also honor work's limits. There is no better starting point for a meaningful work life than a firm grasp of this balanced work and rest theology. (Timothy Keller, Every Good Endeavor, 30) 

Keller goes on to address some problems that arise with our work: fruitlessness, pointlessness, selfishness, and idolatry (73-150). Finally, he talks about the solution: connecting the gospel to our work (151-250). This leads people to truly integrate faith and work (251). The book concludes with a fascinating statement, "Redeemer [Keller's church] has found that people are seeking far more theological study in order to navigate the challenges of their vocation, and they long for their pastor to be interested in learning more about the situations they face on a daily basis" (263).

Lastly, should we be fulfilled by our work? When asked about the tendency of modern people to jump to the next bigger, grander thing (i.e., relationship, career, church, etc.) in order to be fulfilled, Tim Keller responds: "People are looking for the more fulfilling thing" (i.e., a job that is more exciting and better paying); the Christian view of vocation, on the other hand, is that when you produce a product which is making people's lives better (even if it's boring to make it), you are doing God's work (Ask Pastor John podcast, "How Your Career Could Crush You"). Undoubtedly there will be moments when work is fulfilling. Some work “fits us” better than other types of work. Sometimes God does move us into different jobs and vocations. Still, Keller’s point is a good one: work is not primarily designed for our fulfillment. As Luther said, work is for loving your neighbor. Therefore, if you find yourself severely unfulfilled by work, then know that you are currently loving your neighbor and also there is eternal hope. We can find our fulfillment in Christ. He will never leave you unfulfilled for all of eternity. One day, God will strip away all of the effects of the Fall which makes fulfilling work elusive.

Application

Remember this: (parents, singles, spouses, grandparents, workers, and students) you are loving your neighbor with your vocation! Doesn't that infuse fresh meaning into your different vocational spheres?

Where Can I Learn More?

Bibliography:

-Ferguson, Sinclair B., David F. Wright, and J. I. Packer, eds. New Dictionary of Theology: A Concise and Authoritative Resource. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1988.

-Keller, Timothy, and Katherine Leary Alsdorf. Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work. New York, NY: Penguin, 2012.

-Nelson, Tom. Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011.

-Oxford English Reference Dictionary. 2nd edition, revised. Edited by Judy Pearsall and Bill Trumble. New York, NY: Oxford, 2003.

-Veith, Gene Edward, Jr. God At Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2002.

Podcast:

-Watch this podcast with Tim Keller on the Ask Pastor John podcast from Desiring God titled, "How Your Career Could Crush You"