Whatever work you do, whether paid, voluntary, hybrid, or in the home, you are called by God – and discerning your calling is a key priority for your life. But how do you do that?  

Firstly, and foundationally, your vocation is to be transformed into the likeness of Christ and to reflect his image in the world. We’re all called to be whole-life disciples, messengers of the gospel, and ambassadors of Christ in our places of work, communities, and families. This is the one vocation we all share.   

At another level, each of us has a personal and specific call from God through our occupations. It can often be a little harder to discern what this might be, perhaps because God is primarily concerned with our greater vocational calling around character and relationship with him. If we are walking faithfully with him, he then entrusts us to make wise, prayerful decisions about our occupations. Right now, you may be asking God whether he is calling you to stay in your current job or move to a different role. But the key thing is to remember that you can be fruitful for God in pretty much any occupation.  

To hear God’s call on our lives we need to be close to him and take time to listen to him. All too often, we’re so busy and distracted that we miss his gentle whisper. We need to make time and space in our everyday lives to be still before God. The main way we hear his voice is through Scripture: as we dwell in his word each day, we hear his voice and discern his call on our lives. That’s why I encourage all believers to start each day reading the Bible, even if it’s on the train or as you grab your first coffee.  

Throughout Scripture, we see God calling his people to specific roles and battling very real challenges as they respond, wrestling with a sense of inferiority and insecurity as they lived out their callings. Some were so overwhelmed that they ran from their calling. For example, Jonah heard God’s call to go to Nineveh to preach a message of repentance, but instead he ran from the Lord and headed in the opposite direction to Tarshish. 

For many of us, this is all too relatable. Faced with challenges at work, we can all understand the temptation to run from conflict, injustice, or monotony. But however hard it might feel, God is calling you to continue his work of redemption. In your work, that might mean honouring God through simply fulfilling your role this week with joy. It might involve being a minister of reconciliation and helping bring peace where there is conflict at work. Or perhaps, like Jonah, God is calling you to stand up for injustice or speak truth into a situation in your office. Be encouraged: after three days in the belly of a fish, Jonah eventually learned to obey God’s call to Nineveh, bringing about God’s redemptive purposes in that city. God graciously perseveres despite our reluctance, doubts, and fears.  

God’s call on your life may be as a web designer, volunteer, nurse, mother, teacher, or broker. But whatever he calls you to, remember that you are first and foremost a son or daughter of God, called to be his chosen people, royal priesthood, holy nation, and God’s special possession (1 Peter 2:9). It is out of this identity and purpose that we then serve God with faithfulness wherever we are. Take time this week to sit quietly before God and reflect on the different ways God is calling you. 

Revd David Walker 
Imagine Work Champion