Much of God’s work in the world takes place though people who spend their week laboring in the marketplace.

God calls pastors and spiritual leaders to equip His people for service to the Kingdom (Ephesians 4:11-16). And He calls each person in the Church to honor and serve Him wholeheartedly — wherever Monday morning finds them.

To describe our work and ministry, we often use words such as vocation, calling, mission and purpose. However, many Christians fail to understand and embrace their place in God’s kingdom design. God’s people need biblical clarity on integrating their vocations (callings) and their occupations (everyday work). These two terms are connected but not synonymous.

Vocations (Callings)

The term “vocation” comes from the Latin root vocare — to call or receive a call. For much of Church history, vocation referred to a religious calling: a monastic order, evangelistic/missionary work, or pastoral leadership.

The Reformation rekindled the priesthood of all believers (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:22,24), and the Church started recognizing everyday work as a calling from God. Martin Luther’s delightful observation that Christian shoemaking is not about adding crosses to shoes but making good shoes was a breakthrough for workers in all classes.

Vocations include general and specific callings from God that edify the Body, enhance the world, and transcend current occupational assignments.

An occupation, on the other hand, is the everyday labor we do for the glory of God and the good of others. Such labor may express our vocations, but it is not the full expression of our callings.

All believers have four vocations — callings from God that supersede job descriptions, class, gender, race or national identity.

The first and greatest calling is entering a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This is the general calling to repentance and salvation through faith (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9; 1 John 1:9).

The second calling is marriage or singleness, according to God’s grace (1 Corinthians 7). Each is a gift that includes duties and liberties. In our desire to honor marriage, we often dishonor singleness. Scripture honors both.

The third calling consists of discovering and doing the good works to which Jesus calls each believer (Ephesians 2:8-10; 3:3-10; 4:1-16). These works include our daily tasks, but they are more than job assignments.

God calls us to discover and express our gifts (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12-14) and to invest wisely the resources He entrusts to our stewardship (Matthew 25). We are always more than our job title, and we never outgrow daily labor with excellence and integrity.

Finally, God calls His people to specific arenas that are part of His providential ordering of society — such as art, politics, business, charity, education, compassion, etc. Whatever kind of work God leads us to, we can honor Him through it (Colossians 3:23-24).

When we do our jobs with integrity and skill, it brings glory to God and benefits those we serve.

Occupations

We fulfill our vocations as we labor faithfully in our daily occupations.

Our work includes all moral and meaningful activities apart from leisure and rest. It may be paid or unpaid activity, labor or leadership, creative or repetitious activity. Work is a primary expression of neighborly love and the context for extending God’s mission. Parenting is work!

For some believers, it may come as a shock to realize that our reward for good work in this life is more work in the next (Matthew 25:21,23).

Occupations change based on the local and global economy and the context of culture, geography and history. Our identity and vocation are greater than our current employment.

How fulfilling our occupations are may depend on one's personality, giftedness, education and acquired skills. In the 21st century, believers must awaken to their God-given callings and discover how to express them in a rapidly changing world.

Occupations involve competencies that include both natural abilities and acquired skills, and the spiritual gifts are often a delightful part of the process. In our discipleship efforts, we must help followers of Jesus grow in the unchanging ways of the Lord while gaining the skills and wisdom for employment in an ever-evolving economy.

Three Kingdom Principles for the Workplace

The quality of our work matters. Christians should exhibit godly character in all aspects of work (Galatians 5:22-23). When we do our jobs with integrity and skill, it brings glory to God and benefits those we serve. Creativity, peacemaking and servanthood should guide our daily work.

All people matter. The Church operates under a new Kingdom sociology. Scripture teaches that we are “all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). All God’s people enjoy equality before the Lord, in fellowship around the table and in access to God-ordained assignments.

Economic class, ethnic identity, gender and religious background do not determine divine assignments. We must welcome diversity and treat all people with honor and dignity.

Character matters. We work in a fallen world and will encounter both individual iniquity and institutional injustice as we labor for the Lord. We have a divine obligation and a Kingdom opportunity to pursue justice (Micah 6:8) and to take a stand against oppression (Isaiah 58) so that all people can flourish.

Most people don’t go to work whistling a cheery tune and feeling excited about their place in the economy. However, this can change with better teaching on vocation and the dignity of all good work.

For pastors, these ideas on vocation and occupation demand clear thinking and careful articulation. Beginning with the infusion of a joyful work ethic with children all the way to strategic deployment of retirees, people need clarity and commissioning.

And leaders, if you work outside a church or mission agency, you are not bivocational; you are multi-occupational. You are no less a called leader. You are just funding the work and influencing the world uniquely.

All these ideas boil down to believers realizing they are more than their current jobs while also understanding that their current placement is a Kingdom opportunity.

Being yoked to Jesus and remaining in His love and power are critical (Matthew 11:29-30; John 15:4) as God people answer the call to advance His mission — working with the resources He provides, until our Lord’s return (Luke 19:13).