Are you using Your Vocation?

By Pastor Adam Kosberg

God gives us all callings in life. Sometimes we refer to this as a vocation. Whether it be a doctor, a teacher, father or mother, grandparent or grandchild. He gives us relationships to be in and things to do. Often times we focus so much on one of those callings we forget to give attention to the rest of them.

My uncle recently retired and is now struggling with what to do with his time. In fact he called up my wife and I to see if we had any ideas for him. He was struggling with the idea of his vocation coming to an end. We reminded him that his work was just one of his vocations. He also has a vocation to be a husband, father, and grandfather, a neighbor and a friend. He may have laid aside one vocation but he still had many other things that God was calling him to.  Simply reminding him of this was all he needed. He began to tell us about his kids and grandkids and all of the things he could now do with them in his free time. He and his wife recently moved and he has all new neighbors to meet. Quickly the situation went from not having anything to do to his calendar being filled with things to do and people to meet.

I am reminded of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians where he writes, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do.”

While one of our vocations may end someday God still has things prepare in advance for us to do until he calls us to be with him forever. Through those works we do not to earn God’s favor because we already have it. Christ has made us his own through his death and resurrection and invites us into his receptive and restorative work in creation. That means that loving our spouse or kids or grandkids is the work that God has called us to. It might mean taking care of someone else or being taken care of. When we are being taken care of we are providing the opportunity for someone else to fulfill their vocation. God works through all different ways to bring about the kingdom of God.

One of the ways that I like to think about my vocations is that God is using me to bless someone else. When I do the dishes that blesses my wife. When I write a sermon God is using me to bless those who hear it. When I mow my lawn it blesses my neighbor so my home is no longer an eye sore. Whatever we do God is using us to bless other people. This is helpful to me because it reminds me who is actually in charge of blessing people. It is not me it is God. So when you are living out the calling that God has given you God is using you to bless other people and he has surrounded you with people he is using to blessing you.

My neighbor across the street has fruit trees. The neighbor next door to him moved in because they saw his fruit trees and thought they want to live next to someone with fruit trees. When my wife and I moved in we noticed the fruit trees and decided to plant some of our own. Now we all get to enjoy delicious fruit because God has blessed all of us simply through our neighbor planting some fruit trees.

Blessing someone can be as simple as smiling and saying hello or planting a fruit tree. It all depends on the work that Christ Jesus has laid out for us to do. I don’t know your situation but I do know that Christ Jesus has given you a vocation, someone to bless. I also know that he doesn’t call you to do that alone. He is already at work and is simply inviting you into the work he is already doing.

It is my hope and prayer that God may use this as a blessing and encouragement for you.