And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
— COLOSSIANS 3:17

We often hear people say, “If only I could serve the Lord full-time!” It doesn’t help that when we make altar calls asking for people to commit their lives in service to God, we often only do so for the so-called full-time vocational ministries. As a result, many people mistakenly believe that the highest form of service is when we “forsake everything” to become staff in a church or serve overseas as an International Worker. Is this really what God intended?

Scripture gives us numerous examples of God’s people serving him through their profession. Joshua served God by being the General of Israel’s army in the various campaigns to conquer the Promised Land. King David served by administering the Kingdom. Paul worked as a tentmaker who preached and taught the Gospel during his eighteen-month stay in the city of Corinth (Acts 18:3, 11). These examples clearly show us that the issue is not about whether we serve the Lord in full-time vocational service, but whether we glorify him in all we do, regardless of occupation, because he called us to be full-time followers of Jesus.

In Romans 12:1-2, Paul reminds us that the will of God is “good and acceptable and perfect.” Whether he has called us to be an engineer, a homemaker or a pastor, his desire is that we serve and glorify him in whatever he has called us to do.

Dear Jesus, thank you for calling me to serve you in whatever you have given me to do. Help me to be faithful in pointing people to you by my words and actions, wherever I am.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. In what way can I glorify God and serve him in what I am doing today?
2. Pray for an opportunity to serve God in your community or workplace.

R.S. is an International Worker in the Silk Road Region.