The view that seems to prevail among Christians today is that full time Christian service requires leaving your job - secular work - in order to take up full time spiritual service or ministry. The perception is, that it as “more spiritual” to labour in a special ministry than in a secular calling. One who takes up “spiritual ministry” is then, of course, a more spiritual person than one who abides in secular employment - such an one must be more carnal and worldly minded. One doesn’t have to go to the trouble of study or preparation for the ministry or mission work either (though that is encouraged as the highest spiritual service) because this mentality creates a host of innovative, personalised “spiritual ministries”. You can design your own kingdom ministry - every one can be on the ministry team! You may have a ministry of ....... music (pop, rock, rap, jazz, whatever - just so long as it is “spiritual” - stuff for Christians to listen to, or to be performed in church services), mime, puppets, drama etc (just so long as it has a moral or biblical content or is adapted for use in worship), building, painting, electrical etc (just so long as you build or repair church or parachurch structures or do voluntary work for the needy), child care, youth ministries - and the list goes on. Whatever natural abilities you have - leave the worldly secular sphere and take up a spiritual ministry - if you are a spiritual person!

This is not sound or biblical thinking. It manifests an erroneous world and life view that gives rise to conduct that flies in the face of God’s word. Scripture gives us to understand that we are spiritual creatures who must actively serve God in the whole of our earthly existence. There are not some things and callings that are “spiritual” and others that are not. Our life is one unified whole - with our God and Saviour Jesus Christ at the centre of it. Life can not be divided up into “spiritual” and “secular” compartments. It is very wrong to make such a division; and it is destructive to the Christian life, for it leads to the wrong conduct described above.

This earthly life we live in God’s world, from cradle to grave and everything in between, is eminently spiritual, for our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ lays claim to our whole being and every area of our life. “Whether therefore, you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). No lawful calling is excluded - nothing is “unspiritual”. Therefore, we are most emphatically already in full time spiritual service. No matter how mundane, insignificant, earthy, or lowly our occupation may seem to be it is something in which we can and are serving our Lord Christ. What could be lower than being a slave to the ungodly? But listen to what Christ says to Christian slaves: “Let every man abide in the calling wherein he was called ... Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.” (1 Corinthians 7:20). Even a Christian slave is in full time spiritual service of God - Christ calls him to be a God fearing, Christian slave! That is a very difficult calling! It would require much grace and patience to be a truly godly Christian slave! While a slave toils away in his calling, he can do so by faith and in hope, without feeling the least bit guilty or worldly. His life is spiritual and of eternal significance.

This means also, that a Christian ought not leave the calling in life which God gives him unless God himself, by his providence, places him in another. (No, that does not mean we may not, at times, and for good reasons, transfer from one company to another, or to another area of labour within our God given field of endeavour. We may do so, but it ought to be the exception rather than the rule; and it must be done in a Christian manner the principles of contentment, truth, loyalty, trustworthiness, church membership and attendance, must govern us. A self-seeking, disloyal, unreliable, and untrustworthy spiritual Christian is a bit hard to visualise - don’t you think?) By the way, this same principle also applies to uprooting and moving from one place (region/state/nation) to another. We ought not do that, except it be for very good and necessary reasons - never for selfish and self seeking reasons. In these things Christians are to think and act differently to the unbelieving and covetous world - they are to be spiritually minded people.

So far is God from calling us to be spiritual by forsaking our calling in life for “active full time spiritual ministry”, that he tells us to stay put - and get busy with the challenging calling of serving him right where he has placed us in his all wise providence. Our occupation / job / calling in life - whatever it may be is where our full time spiritual service of God is to take place. God saves and calls us as those who labour in a particular job and place, exactly in order that his grace and truth might shine in that place to all those with whom we labour. Our place and calling is important! We are to be in the world, but not of it! We are to live as truly spiritual painters, mechanics, accountants, teachers, students, nurses, fathers, mothers, etc. in this present evil world. We are to shine as lights exactly where God has been pleased to place us, and to the people among whom we labour - THAT is to be our “full time service” for God. That is where the life of daily, consistent, godliness will prepare the way for you to be a lover of God and your neighbour, a witness for Christ, and a soul winner. Now that means your job and how you do it is eminently spiritual, and vastly more demanding than the pseudo-spiritual ministries created by confused people in the churches of today.

Our calling is to live as a citizen of Christ’s spiritual kingdom in the calling HE gives us. “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ, (Colossians 3:22-24).

Your life and calling, whatever it is, is significant in the kingdom of Christ.

Rev. Chris Connors

The Evangelical Presbyterian
Volume 16, July 2000