By Lyndi Lee Markus
Hot take: My vocation is not my job. And neither is yours.
I spent some time reminding myself of this idea over the summer because a thought kept nudging me: For those of us who believe in our call to full-time ministry work, whether on the field or at HQ in The Navs, it’s easy to draw the conclusion that joining staff in an organization like ours is the best “vocation,” clearly all-in for Christ. Vocation equals a holy job, end point.
But if that’s true … it’d be impossible for a Jesus-following dentist, who may even be a Nav disciple, to live out his vocation wholeheartedly. Does he just not have a vocation? Is his vocation “dentist” (like Ken’s job was just “beach”)?
A spiritual leader in my life suggested a different definition for these words:
- Identity: What we all share in Christ. We are beloved of God, called according to His purposes to “know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same.”
- Vocation: Our individual “calling,” which we can each receive by hearing God. It’s the way the gospel uniquely forms us; our own redemption story mixed with our own giftings, passions, and sense of holy purpose.
- Job: Just one context where we get to live out our vocation. That’s all.
For our friend the dentist, perhaps his true vocation is to bring healing. His job as “dentist” is just a job, and he may love it (more than most of us love seeing that appointment approach on the calendar). But that job shows the core of the gospel: restoration to wholeness.
When it comes to vocation, context is just an expression. Vocation is your story in the gospel—how God is bringing the gospel to the world through you, no matter where you happen to be.
Curious for you as you lead:
- How do you see your personal vocation (your unique and unrepeatable story) bringing depth to your contribution in The Navigators Calling?
- What clued you in to what your vocation really is?
- If a person chooses to leave Nav staff, what might that say about their vocation?
- As you engage regularly with younger leaders or those you disciple, how might the threads of your own vocation help them step fully into what God has uniquely created them to contribute to the world?