Work, Faith, and Identity
When we speak of a calling to do or be something in life, we should remember that the most important element is not the call, but rather who is doing the calling.
If you feel called to do something, but you do not know why, you should just do what you want, because that “calling” is empty. It is hollow, because it does not point to a higher purpose. When someone asks himself, “What should I do in life?”, in reality, he should be asking, “Why should I do what I want to do in life??
All of us who believe that Christ is our Lord and Savior should remember that He calls us by name to send us on a mission to establish his Kingdom on earth. When we understand this, then our vocations as well as our daily work become an expression of our identity and not the source of our identity.
A Christian should remember that he represents Christ wherever he is: in the home, at work, at play, and in all of his relationships. Additionally, he should consider that God made him to work and that this work -- now through faith in Christ -- becomes an instrument for God to use to continue displaying his glory and love for a fallen world, a world that is in constant conflict and pain.
Samples of cultural renewal
Our work is an opportunity to serve God as we serve others in any given field. However, because of our rebellion against God, work has become, among other things, one more expression of human selfishness, one more manifestation of man’s hatred of God and his fellow image-bearers. Now, instead of finding our identity in the form and purpose for which we were created, work becomes the source of our identity. Now many people look for a sense of worth and contentment in their work. Ironically, the result is that work becomes a continual source of discouragement, discontentment, disconnect, and finally disappointment.
The Gospel -- faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ – inevitably leads us to recognize the perils of establishing an identity on the basis of our daily activities and shows us how we should recover the true meaning of work, according to the plan of God and the way in which we were created. Our identity in Christ should lead us to see our work as an expression of that identity and to repent of seeking our peace in the corrupt structures of the world.
In what ways do you feel discouraged, disgruntled, or disconnected from your work?
In what way could the good news of the Gospel help you to change your attitude and your present circumstances?