Vocation or Vision

I recently sat in a meeting with several people. There was a common goal shared among the group, but not a common attitude. While a couple of the people were more than willing to do whatever was needful, one person would not budge. I left the meeting frustrated, but thoughtful.

I thought about why some would be so willing to carry the work load and "bend over backward" to make possibilities. I asked why another would be so unbending. How one looks at the situation seemed to explain the circumstances. (Circs as PG Wodehouse would say.) Are you working on a vocation or are you pursuing a vision?

Are you just punching a clock, filling the hours, and barely getting by? Do you only see the negatives? Are you like the shoe salesman who went to Africa and called back saying, "Bring me home, no one here wears shoes."

Or are you one who has a vision. Do you look for opportunities? Do you see with clarity that you have a calling to pursue, ultimately a God to glorify in all? Are you like the second salesman sent to Africa who called home and said, " Send more shoes, no one here wears shoes!"

Perspective can play such a role in how we spend our lives. I once heard a friend tell a story of helping his grandfather. He was working under the house in the heat of a southern summer. It seems that the plumbing was clogged and his job was to get the grease and debris (yuck!) out of the way. The young man went on to tell that even though the job was gross, he did not mind so much, because he was with His grandfather. He would have done anything for this beloved patriarch.

On a greater scale when we are caught up in the muck of this world, doing our daily jobs we can look at how gross the situation is, or we can catch hold of a change in vision. We can lay aside our vocations and see that in all we are running errands for King Jesus.

Oh, our king is special. He is our beloved, Almighty. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and never wants for anything. He is the Lord of hosts, the captain of our salvation, Emmanuel. He is the Lion of Judah and the Prince of peace. He is altogether lovely and He calls you by your name if you are His child. He is not impersonal or arbitrary. He loves with an everlasting love, forgives while casting away our sins to remember them no more, redeems us from our sin and misery, and clothes us in His righteousness.

It does not matter if you are changing diapers, cleaning toilets, mowing grass, or cleaning out plumbing in all we are serving our King. He calls us to do "everything without complaining or arguing". (Ouch!) (Phil 2:14) He tells us that we, "Can do all things through Christ who strengthens us." (Phil 4:13)He reassures us that if He has begun a good work in us, "He will carry it on until completion." (Phil 1:6)He tells us that if we have died with Him, that we will have newness of life to bear unto Him fruits in keeping with repentance. ( taken from both Rom. 6:4 and 7:4)We are called to run errands for the king.

Today as you go about the mundane, I pray that you will keep the vision of Christ, his love for you, His kingly office, His humble submission on our behalf, and His continual intercession clear before you. Try to avoid the vocation mentality by thinking about the one who saved you. What can He ask of you that He was not willing to do for you? What burden does he ask you to bear that He will not bear for you? Where did He draw the line and say, "You ask me to do too much?" When was he overcome by the job description and loose perspective? Was He ever selfish? What does He require of you that He does not promise to see and reward? Who are we to complain, we are but dust.

Let us, "Go to the ant."(Prov. 6:6) Let us consider the things that are "little and wise." (Prov. 30:24-28)

As this new day starts how can you serve King Jesus?