Calling=Job? Calling > Job?

Is there such a thing as calling?

Perhaps you have that one friend who is absolutely passionate about their work - “I always knew I was called to be a doctor!” Or maybe you are surrounded by people who feel otherwise – “Doesn’t calling make my choice void? I’m just walking into something pre-decided.”

Given that we do invest a great portion of our lifetime into work, one often considers work as a place to create meaning and reap fulfilment. At the same time however, many misconceptions surround the nature of calling. Possibly, the greatest myth of them all is that your calling is a job.

In a recent article on Relevant, Dan Cumberland clarifies that our jobs are but an opportunity to express our calling, and is not the calling itself.

Adding onto this, the Bible gives us an example of calling, and the higher purpose behind it.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’

                And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’

Isaiah 6:8

Here, we see Isaiah responding to God’s call to send out His message that ultimately gives Him the glory. In the same vein, we ought to seek God’s glory in our work! The fact is we may end up working different jobs throughout our lifetime, some which we love and others which frustrate us, and more often than not, a mix of both. On the other hand, our calling does not change.

For man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.