In December and January, my team hosted two job shadows at our office. We had about a dozen people come in to learn more about the field of Operations. It was fun to hear how God had worked in the lives of these students and staff, and how they desire to use their gifts and talents to impact others. These job shadows always remind me of my own story and why I'm still with Cru after 8 years of ministry.
Recently a friend forwarded an e-mail to me about calling and vocation by Os Hillman, an author and speaker in issues related to faith and work. She sent it last September and about once a month I come back to it to let his words sink in: "It is dangerous to align your calling and your vocation as dependent on each other. God calls us into relationship with Him. That is our foremost calling. It is from this relationship that our "physical" calling results. Whether that is to be a teacher, a stockbroker, a nurse, a pastor, or any number of vocations, we must realize that when He calls us, the change in vocation never changes His call on our lives. It is a mere change in the landscape of our calling. This is why it is dangerous to associate our purpose and calling too closely with our work. When we define our work life exclusively as our calling, we fall into the trap of locking up our identity into our vocation. This promotes aspiration because of a need to gain greater self-worth through what we do. I love that Hillman distinguishes between calling and vocation. No matter our day job, we are called to specific things as Christ followers: loving God and sharing that love with the people in our spheres of influence, among other things. Our vocation does not change our calling. I've thought a lot about identity the past year and been learning what it looks like to separate your identity from your accomplishments- whether at work or personally. When we meet people for the first time we often as what they do. It's hard not to base your opinion on the answer to that question. If identity doesn't rest in our accomplishments, we can be tempted to find it in others and our relationships: our marriage, how our kids behave, our parents or siblings, friend groups, etc. We find our identity in our looks or physical abilities, our bank account balance, car we drive or house we own. The list could go on. Importance lessons for all of us, but especially for college students moving into adulthood as they establish themselves after college and find their place in the world. For Christ followers, we find our identity as sons and daughters adopted into God's family. We have an inheritance that will never perish, spoil or fade. We find ourselves rooted and established in love, a love that is steadfast and immovable, that is unconditional and unearnable. Whether or not these students and staff join our team, I'm excited about where God will take them as they live out their calling in whatever vocations they choose.
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Amy WellnerEncouraging others to intentionally live out their God-given identity. Archives
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