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Good morning! There are many ways to ask about someone’s job in English. For example, you can say, “What do you do for a living?” That’s a common one. But there’s an easier one — “What is your job?” You can also say, “What is your occupation?” or “What is your profession?” Now, “profession” usually means a job that needs special knowledge — like a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher, an engineer, or a writer. But, there’s another word that’s very special. It’s the word “vocation.” Yes, “vocation.” It can mean a job, but it also means something deeper — a calling. It’s the kind of work that God Himself gives you — something you are born to do.
In the past, people used “calling” only for church work, like being a pastor or priest. But later, Martin Luther and John Calvin taught us that every job can be a calling from God. They said that when you work hard and do your job faithfully, you are actually serving God and giving glory to Him. So, brothers and sisters, remember this: Your job is not just a job. It is your calling. God has placed you there for a reason. When you work with honesty, love, and excellence — you are honoring God through your work.
However, I believe that a calling is more than just a job — it is a mission from God.
Yes, your job can be your calling. But I believe there is something higher than that. There is a higher calling, a greater purpose that God has for each of you. I believe that God has called every one of you with a special purpose and a unique mission in life. In the Bible, there are many people who discovered their calling and lived according to that calling. Can you think of some of them?
Let us begin with someone we all know very well — Abraham. Abraham was a man who lived his life according to God’s calling. Now, was Abraham a farmer? No, he wasn’t. Abraham was a nomad, a man who traveled from place to place, leading his flocks wherever God guided him. He was a shepherd, a livestock owner, and the Bible tells us he was very rich. So, yes — his occupation, his everyday work, was raising animals. But, brothers and sisters, that was not his true calling. In Genesis 12:1, God spoke to Abraham and said, “Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.” Abraham obeyed. He left his comfortable life. He followed God’s voice into the unknown. He believed in a promise he could not yet see. And in Genesis 12:3, God said, “I will bless those who bless you… and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” That was Abraham’s calling —to be a channel of God’s blessing to the world. To receive God’s blessing and let it flow through him to others. In fact, Abraham lived his whole life according to his calling.
The second person who lived according to God’s calling was Moses. What was his job? From the time he was born until he turned forty, he lived as a prince of Egypt. He grew up in Pharaoh’s palace and received the best education the world could offer. From forty to eighty, Moses lived in the desert of Midian as a shepherd. He took care of his father-in-law Jethro’s sheep, and during those quiet years in the wilderness, God was shaping his heart — teaching him humility and patience. And then, when Moses turned eighty, God called him. He was no longer just a shepherd — he became the leader of God’s people, a prophet of the Lord, and the deliverer who brought the people of Israel out of Egypt.
The third person I want to introduce to you from the Bible is Esther. Esther was an orphan. She had no parents. But her cousin Mordecai raised her as his own daughter. She was a beautiful and graceful young woman. That means Esther was an ordinary Jewish woman who had been taken to Babylon as a captive. Yet, by God’s plan, she became the queen of Persia. If we think about her job, Esther’s job was… She was a queen. She lived happily, loved by the king. But one day, the Jewish people were in great danger because of the evil plan of Haman, the highest official in the Persian Empire. At that time, Esther realized the reason why God had placed her in the queen’s position. She said, “If I perish, I perish.” Then she bravely went before the king and begged him to save her people. Esther risked her life to obey God’s will. In the end, Haman was hanged on the pole, and the Jewish people were saved. Esther was used in God’s work of salvation through her position as the queen.
Fourth is Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary was a young girl from Nazareth. She was an ordinary village girl. But God chose her to have and take care of His Son. She married Joseph, and together they raised Jesus while living a normal family life. Mary did God’s work in her everyday life. Her calling was to give birth to Jesus, raise Him and help Him in His ministry. Mary lived a life of obedience and devotion. She did not have a special job, but she played an important role in God’s plan. This shows us that God can give special callings to ordinary people, and that obeying God and having faith are the most important ways to do His work.
Finally, the person I want to introduce to you is Paul. Brothers and sisters, do you remember what Paul’s job was before he became a Christian? Before his conversion, Paul was a Pharisee, a scholar of the Law, and also a tentmaker by trade. He was a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, educated in Greek culture, and even had Roman citizenship. In other words, he studied and taught the Law as a Pharisee. He even tried to destroy the early church and led the persecution of Christians. But then, on the road to Damascus, Paul had a miraculous encounter with Jesus and was converted. From that moment, he changed the direction of his life and devoted himself to spreading the Gospel. The man who once persecuted Jesus’ followers became an apostle who preached about Jesus. Paul continued his trade as a tentmaker to support himself, but he used his skills, knowledge, and energy to spread the Gospel. Paul’s calling was to preach Jesus to both Jews and Gentiles.
Brothers and sisters! God has given each of us a job. He wants us to live in a way that serves the world and fulfills His will through our work. A job is not just a way to earn money. It is a tool to carry out the mission, responsibilities, and duties God has given us. God wants us to work hard at our jobs. Doing our best at work is one way we obey Him and serve Him.
Nevertheless, I pray that each one of us will move toward a higher calling—just as Abraham, who faithfully lived his life as a shepherd and herdsman, responded to a higher calling. What was Abraham’s calling? It’s to be a channel of God’s blessing to the world. It’s to receive God’s blessing and let it flow through him to others. Just like Moses, who was tending his father-in-law’s sheep, I encourage you to obey your higher calling. What was Moses’ calling? It was to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. I pray that, like Esther, who was a queen yet responded to God’s calling to save her people, you will also move toward a higher calling. I pray that, like Mary, an ordinary young woman who obeyed God’s calling to become the mother of our Savior, Jesus, you will also move toward a higher calling. And I hope that, like Paul, who once taught the Law and made tents but was later called to be an apostle to the Gentiles, you will also move toward a higher calling.
Once again, your job is God’s calling. No doubt about it! No question about it! And yet, remember that Abraham, Moses, Esther, Mary, and Paul heard God’s call — and they answered, “Here I am, Lord.” Brothers and sisters, God is also calling you today — to live not just for work, not just for success, but for His mission and His glory.
Let us pray.
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