A 30-DAY GUIDE FOR NEW BELIEVERS
by JOHN D. BECKETT
DAY 26 IN, BUT NOT OF ...
How do I maintain my equilibrium in daily living?
One of the great dilemmas of the Christian life is to know how we should relate to the world around us. For me, this has been a lifelong challenge. As I said earlier, I know I have been "called" to the business world. Yet with that call I am functioning daily in a non-Christian environment. I often interact with people who don't know Christ, and may not have the slightest interest (they may even be antagonistic to my beliefs). I have to deal with ideas and ideals that are steeped in materialism, selfishness and greed. I work alongside those with lifestyles and habits that are contrary to biblical patterns. The "fallen world" is never far away.
We can err in two ways as we try to navigate the troubled waters of the world around us. One is to isolate -- a direction taken in the extreme by those who have joined various monastic orders down through history. Such an approach may indeed keep us separated from the messy world about us. But if our isolation robs others of the witness of a Spirit-filled follower of Jesus, isn't that selfish on our part?
The other error is to assimilate -- to be so much like those around us there is no visible difference. This is often the mindset of believers who are living two lives, a religious life (say at home and on weekends) and a workplace life, where spiritual focus is muted for the sake of work in the "real world." In the closing book of the Old Testament the prophet Malachi prophesied that there would one day be a clear distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous, between those who serve the Lord and those who do not (see Malachi 3:18). Our lives should reflect that distinction. We should be different in ways that are important, yet approachable and accessible in ways that engage us in the lives of others.
Jesus both modeled and instructed an approach in which He neither isolated nor assimilated. He continually interacted with people where they were, in the "marketplaces" of His day. He drew His closest associates from trades and professional people, and His teachings centered around the everyday world -- "a sower went out to sow," "the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant" (see Matthew 13:3.45). Although Jesus fully engaged the world around Him, He did so without losing one iota of His devotion to His Father or deviating in the slightest from His integrity or values.
Jesus' teachings lined up to His personal example. For example, He prayed for His disciples, "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one" (John 17:15). He instructed His followers: "You are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13). (Salt has cleansing, flavoring and preservative qualities, but does no good if it is confined to a box or bottle.)
You have not been given a new life in order to isolate, nor have you been transformed only to assimilate. You are called to Christ, first to be His -- heart, soul, mind and strength -- and then commissioned to go out in His power to a needy world. As Paul said, "We are ambassadors for Christ ... workers together with Him" (2 Corinthians 5:20,6:1).
Billy Graham likens your role in the world to that of the Gulf Stream as it flows through the chilly waters of the Atlantic Ocean: "The Gulf Stream is in the ocean, and yet it is not a part of it. Believers are in the world, and yet they must not be absorbed by it." The warmth of the Gulf Stream profoundly affects the climate of many parts of the world. In fact, palm trees grow off the coast of Scotland, while further east, at the same latitude, Siberia experiences some of the world's harshest winters. You, as with the Gulf Stream, are to retain your identity and purpose, but also affect the surrounding climate, where you live and where you work. You are in the world but not of it.
Key Scripture As you sent Me into the world I have also sent them into the world (John 17:18).
Key Thought I may be the only bible my neighbor ever reads.
A 30-DAY GUIDE FOR NEW BELIEVERS
by JOHN D. BECKETT
DAY 25 CALLING
How can I serve God in my work?
Our primary "calling" is always to Christ. Os Guinness in The Call says, "First and foremost we are called to Someone (God), not to something (such as motherhood, politics, or teaching) or to somewhere (such as the inner city or Outer Mongolia)" (p. 31). However, we who are called to Christ are also "called" vocationally. God's plan for us includes our work.
There is a common idea in Christian circles that people cannot fully serve God unless they go into some kind of "full-time" Christian work -- as a missionary, a minister or a church worker. The root of this thinking is the long-held view that there is a sharp divide between the "sacred" and the "secular" -- the sacred being higher, more noble, more worthy, and the secular lower, less noble and less worthy. But this is not the view held by Jesus and His followers. A. W. Tozer, in The Pursuit of God, addresses the issue this way:
One of the greatest hindrances to the Christian's internal peace is the common habit of dividing our lives into two areas -- the sacred and the secular. But this state of affairs is wholly unnecessary ... It is a creature of misunderstanding. The sacred-secular antithesis has no foundation in the New Testament.
Removal of this divide in our thinking has profound implications for our daily work. The reality is that God calls people to a huge variety of honorable endeavors -- from educators to engineers, from sculptors to scientists, from farmers to factory workers, from medical technicians to moms at home with their children. If we receive such a vocational call, we can respond with the same sense of purpose and intensity as to any other call. The challenge is to keep our activities, whether designing a bridge or singing in the church choir, in harmony with God's design, rather than in opposition to that design. We can ask, "Are my motives right? Are my methods right? If Christ were standing right beside me as I operate this machine or paint this picture, would I do anything differently?"
After I became a Christian, I wrestled with the tension between the sacred and the secular. Most other believers I knew were employed in church-related work. My interests and background seemed to point toward a career in engineering and business, yet I had the nagging sense such pursuits were less "worthy." How could I find God's highest for my work? I didn't want to be a "second-class" citizen.
After an extended time of searching for God's will, I realized He indeed wanted to guide me. I didn't hear an audible voice, but I sensed Him saying, "John, I've called you to business. Do it with all your heart." As you might imagine, this clarity was tremendously liberating. It freed me to wholeheartedly pursue business as my calling in life -- a journey I've now pursued for over four decades.
Do you have clarity on your vocational call? I believe the Lord wants to give you confidence in your career choices. Here are some indicators that may help you. Ask yourself: What am I good at? What do I really enjoy? What do my education and experiences point to? Where do I sense God's pleasure?
You may see patterns in your life that provide clear direction -- as though an Invisible Hand has been at work, guiding you, even before you fully committed to follow Him.
You will spend the majority of your waking hours at work. How important that you respond to a call. Life is more than just doing a job and earning a paycheck. God calls you and gives purpose to your life -- right where you are, right in the workplace.
Key Scripture "Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men" (Colossians 3:23).
Key Thought I can be an "ordained plumber."
p.s. For a more thorough explanation of the sacred-secular divide and how it affects our work, please visit Loving Monday E-Book text, Part Two, at www.LovingMonday.com
Copyright © 2006 by John D. Beckett
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