Careers with Christian Impact

Young people of today who want so desperately to change the Church and the world will soon get the chance. It is not a matter of revolution but of time. The present generation will retire and die off, and the youth currently chafing at the establishment will become the new establishment. For Christian young people this inevitably suggests tremendous prospects. They alone hold the lasting answer to the ills of society. But will they be prepared to make their mark? They are answering that question right now as they choose careers.

Intelligent young believers know it is not enough to hope and pray and sing and contribute money for the advancement of God’s kingdom. They realize that there are key vocations for wielding Christian influence. The wise young evangelical will choose his career with the utmost care, seeking to be especially sensitive to the leading of God’s Spirit, and realizing that the Spirit often speaks through circumstances. There is reason to think that young people today may be more sensitive to the Christian dimensions in all vocations.

Several years ago a young bus driver became a Christian and felt increasingly impelled to enter the ministry. He went to his pastor for counsel and was told to forget his idea and stick to bus driving. He made the approach repeatedly with the same result. Finally he went again to the pastor and exclaimed, “Look, God has called me to preach. I’ve got to preach.” Whereupon the wise old pastor replied, “That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear you say. Now you’re ready to apply for training.” The bus driver eventually became pastor of that very church, and it thrived as never before under his ministry.

For many people, God’s call is not that apparent or compelling. Occasionally the Spirit leads to a career choice at an early age and there is never any wavering. For most of us, however, the decision is neither quick nor easy. God’s call comes not in one loud shout but in a long series of barely discernible whispers. We pray for guidance and he makes us work for the answer. Such work today can take the form of pre-vocational involvement wherein the student tries out various fields in part-time work (Christian employers do well to provide such opportunities).

Even very devout young people may undergo vacillation and long periods of uncertainty. A few young Christians may fall into the “perennial student” class because of laziness, indecision, and procrastination; their own consciences tell them that. But they are not to be confused with willing young people who simply are having a hard time discerning the divine nudge.

Pastors, elders, Sunday-school teachers, and other mature Christians should go out of their way to offer to talk with young people about vocation, but they should not be dogmatic. Evangelicals have yet to develop a substantial theology of vocation appropriate to our day, and good literature on the subject is lean. The best introduction is “The Christian View Of Work,” a chapter in Carl F. H. Henry’s Aspects Of Christian Social Ethics. Christian vocational counselors may have to settle for merely helping to bring the widest possible picture into view. They certainly should stop short of making specific recommendations on a line of work.

The basic decision that has faced believing young people has been whether to opt for “full-time Christian service” or “secular” work. This dichotomy apparently originated with pietists who after the Reformation drifted back to the traditional Roman Catholic distinction between secular and sacred vocations. But more and more the trend is away from such sharp separation, partly out of theological reasons, partly because there is greater specialization of tasks, even in church-related vocations, and partly because of the increasing recognition that every occupation should have a biblical dimension. It used to be, for example, that Bible-school graduates were recruited for “general missionary work.” Today they go instead as doctors, linguists, teachers, pilots, radio technicians—yet as evangelists as well. Christians now see more clearly that the layman is also a minister. He cannot discharge his biblical responsibility merely by contributing to the salaries of underpaid “professional Christians.”

The Christian young person is well advised to decide first the kind of work he is going to do and then determine whether he will work in an outwardly religious or secular context. The second decision will hinge not as much on the job itself as on whether God wants to use him in a congenial or hostile environment. Some Christians simply feel better suited for working in a church or evangelical organization than for a job in a worldly setting. Others, strangely enough, seem to get along better with unbelievers than with other Christians. A few actually tend to lose out spiritually unless their environment continually puts them on the defensive.

This brings up the matter of how seriously to regard tastes, talents, and aptitudes in choosing a career. Obviously, these things should all figure in the decision. They should not, however, be allowed to weigh too heavily against the factor of current needs and opportunities, which could conceivably be more important. Under some circumstances one might actually serve God better in a crucial vocation in which he was mediocre by the world’s standards than in a less strategic profession in which he might excel. Moreover, tastes, talents, and aptitudes are often more acquired than inborn and can be developed and altered through education of one kind or another.

This is an acute point today because we are in the midst of a philosophy that argues for self-fulfillment, for doing your own thing, for blooming where you are planted. To be sure, God bestows special gifts that wait to be discovered and used. But there is also such a thing as bowing too low before the altar of ability. Even in the Bible, God’s will for a lifetime does not always correspond to conspicuous traits (remember Aaron, for example).

There is truth in the assertion that one can let his light shine anywhere. But this should not be pressed to the extreme view that it doesn’t matter to the cause of the Gospel what a Christian does for his livelihood. We are not to demean any legitimate and needed vocations, but there are obvious priorities that vary according to time and place. After all, Paul left his tents or leather work or whatever it was he did to become a missionary. Jesus’ disciples left their fishing nets to follow him. Jesus himself left the carpenter’s shop.

The point is that talent is not the ultimate indication of what the Lord wants us to do. Nothing in Scripture tells us we must exploit some particular mental or physical capacity throughout our lifetime because we have been assigned an extraordinary measure of it. “I gotta be me regardless of all others and all else” is the attitude that has produced our environmental crisis. One may have a knack for digging holes, but only so many holes need to be dug. In the Christian realm personal fulfillment may need to yield to pooling and coordination of resources. Today’s needs, moreover, must be examined carefully; emotional appeals and ulterior motives must be screened out. As one Christian counselor has put it, “We need always to be wary of people attracted by superficial fervor to some field for which they seem to lack aptitude and temperament. This calls for serious caution and intensive, prayerful investigation of the humidity level of our fleeces.”

A modern version of an old illustration may help to understand how needs or circumstances may speak of God’s will: a pilot in his final approach for a landing at night maneuvers his plane until the runway lights are perfectly in line and appear as one. So in life, when the factors in a situation jibe, we can be confident of our direction. The only problem is in deciding which are the “lights” that need to be lined up.

By all means, we should bloom where we are planted. But those who still have the option of a site should think carefully before planting themselves. Transplanting is often possible and should be attempted if a bad initial choice becomes apparent; but it can be difficult, and it always sets one back in time. “Trying out” a vocation in summer and weekend work is a wise move.

The Scripture passage perhaps most directly relevant to life work is First Corinthians 7:17–24, which places the emphasis neither in gifts nor on circumstances but on calling. This is the way the Revised Standard Version has it:

… Let every one lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him, and in which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. (18) Was any one at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was any one at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. (19) For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. (20) Every one should remain in the state in which he was called. (21) Were you a slave when called? Never mind. But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity. (22) For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ. (23) You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. (24) So, brethren, in whatever state each was called, there let him remain with God.

On the basis of this passage, Luther expounded his great doctrine of the priesthood of all believers, that the divine calling was not limited to the clergy. He saw every vocation as an avenue of divine service. This is a tremendous truth, but Luther may have gotten a bit carried away with it. To say that a believer can serve God in any vocation is one thing; to go on to say that it does not matter what vocation he chooses is something else. Luther himself must have known this; without the training and position he had, he would not have been able to bring off the Reformation. Yet in a 1533 sermon he discouraged people from striving for influential office because “sitting on top is no fun.… It entails so much labor and displeasure that he who is sensible will make no great attempt to attain the position.”

It is foolish to say that one can advance the cause of Christ as much in one vocation as in another. Surely Luther did not mean that. True, one can serve God in any capacity, and in his sovereign plan everyone has a niche to fill. But we cannot go on to assert that all careers are equally crucial in the advancement of God’s kingdom. Even wicked kings sometimes served God’s purposes, but none of us ought to aspire to be a wicked king.

Calvin built upon Luther, urging Christians to take a more dynamic view of their vocations. As Henry J. Ryskamp has put it: “Luther was content with the idea that men should not neglect to serve God in their vocations,” whereas Calvin “exhorted his readers and followers to serve God through their vocations.” Today we still face the challenge of carrying out Calvin’s point. We have the task not merely of doing secular jobs well and honestly but of finding divine purpose and biblical dimensions in them (see also the editorial on page 20 of the June 18 issue). Too many Christians are working below capacity; they merely echo secular patterns and attitudes that were developed from views alien to or at odds with Christianity.

There is enough ambiguity about the passage in First Corinthians seven (especially verse 21, which is rendered in contradictory ways even in modern translations) that one ought not to try to build an airtight doctrine on it alone. Liberal scholars tend to dismiss Paul’s remarks here as just another manifestation of his fatalism, his supposed feeling that the world was soon going to end, so Christians might as well stick with what they were doing. But most evangelical New Testament scholars feel Paul is urging Christians to stay in the jobs they were doing before they became Christians. Perhaps he is implying that by staying there they become the salt of the earth, permeating society for the sake of God’s righteousness. Indeed, Paul may be saying only that one ought not to break previous commitments and obligations in order to take up a new vocation after conversion. All we can say for certain about verse 21 is that it is at least implying that slaves are not expected to flee from their bondage upon becoming Christian.

Another general consideration in career decision-making is how high one should aim. Is it better to aim low and thus make “success” more attainable? Or should a Christian err on the side of aiming too high? As with many other questions relating to career, the specific answer must lie with Spirit-enlightened consciences. Lest this outlook be thought too subjective, let it be remembered that the New Testament repeatedly views conscience as a legitimate test and verification vehicle for the Christian.

This much can be said: Low aims are not necessarily the result of modesty, humility, or meekness. They may be caused by insecurity or pure laziness. Both aiming too low and aiming too high can also result from emotional problems or physical illness which obviously should be cared for—or at least taken into account before a career commitment is made.

Jewish people are known for aiming high, and therein may lie a lesson for Gentiles, for it is likely that Jews have a greater proportional influence on the world than any other ethnic grouping. More than three-fourths of all Jewish high-school students plan to go to college, according to Ernest Van Den Haag in The Jewish Mystique. In the elite schools, he reports, Jews as a proportion of the population are over-represented by 365 per cent. Their earnings afterward indicate, moreover, that they are far more successful. The author contends that it is not merely minority status that gives Jews extra motivation, as some philosophers and sociologists have suggested. Many evangelicals would say the Jews are what they are because they are still God’s chosen people. Whatever the reason, their sense of work and opportunity is sharper than that of any other peoples. It is an attitude that Christians desperately need to emulate.

Women, sometimes (disparagingly) referred to as a “minority group,” find themselves in the opposite situation. Their present status tends to discourage them from careers, as women’s lib never tires of pointing out. Young women in high school and college have a much more difficult time planning for the future than men. They must allow for discrimination and, even more significant, for considerable flexibility. They do not know whom—or whether—they will marry. They have precious little on which to base plans. Will the career a girl chooses be compatible with that of her future husband? If not, will her training and talents be wasted?

In finding her answers to these questions the young Christian woman can only rely upon a Spirit-enlightened conscience. It is extremely regrettable that society looks strangely at unmarried women in religious vocations, such as those who become missionaries and nuns. As in all occupations, some choose this route for the wrong reasons, but by and large these women are among the most dedicated people in the world. Paul’s clear though often misunderstood teaching was that both men and women ought to be willing to give up marriage in order to serve God better.

Most women, naturally, prefer to marry, and an increasing number want to combine a career with homemaking. However, there is still a great divergence of opinion among evangelicals about the wisdom of many such blends. In the May 7 issue of Christianity Today Mary Bouma aptly pleaded that mothers avoid thinking that worthwhile Christian careers are possible only outside the home. She pointed out that spiritually meaningful careers are not only possible but perhaps even more likely if the home is used as a base. In many ways the Christian woman, whether inside the home or out, can exert an influence for God that the male cannot approach.

Interestingly, two key vocational areas in which women often excel are also those in which Christian evangelism today can be most effective: communications and the care of others. Women are generally acknowledged to be particularly proficient in such professions as teaching, acting, writing, music, advertising, publicity and public relations, counseling, and perhaps even law. The same is true in fields where deeds count more than words, such as medicine and social work. And in coming years, Christian women as well as men will undoubtedly find in work related to ecology wide-opening doors of witness to their faith.

Every Christian young person should consider these two broad career categories—communications and service to others—for it will probably be on these that the Church will rely most heavily for its advance during the rest of the twentieth century. Remember that pastors and missionaries fall under these, and good people are needed in both fields more desperately than ever. Unfortunately, Christian professional education is not gearing up to meet the present challenge. There is not a single graduate school of communications or social work with an evangelically oriented curriculum. There has simply not been the demand for such training. And there never will be, unless evangelicals begin to sense more keenly their evangelistic responsibilities and get the vision of capturing a culture for Christ through the media and through the demonstration of concern for the welfare of others.

The singling out of these two areas is not arbitrary. Throughout the Bible we see that God chose to reveal himself primarily through verbal means, and in the New Testament especially we note that proclamation of the Gospel is most effective when it occurs in an atmosphere of concern for our neighbor’s body as well as his soul.

For a long time overt fundamentalists shied away from politics, and thereby lost a great deal by default. In recent years, some younger evangelicals have tended to overcompensate, exaggerating the potential of public officeholders. This is possibly because we live in an age when politics is regarded as the great dynamic, and people think that ultimate worldly power resides in legislation and personal charisma. Experience tells us, however, that historians, philosophers, theologians, and thinkers in general have exerted the most leadership and have left the greatest mark upon their times. The greatest need today as always is for Christian thinkers. Nothing can stop a good idea, and Christians have in Scripture the best foundation for profitable thought.

The choice of career is one of the three most important decisions in a person’s life, equally significant from God’s perspective as the choice of a life partner, and overshadowed only by the decision to accept or reject Christ. We in the West need to be thankful that we live in a free-enterprise system in which vocation is a bona fide individual choice. It adds to our responsibility to choose wisely, prayerfully, with the evangelism of the world in mind and not out of economic or marital necessity, as some young people do.

A career decision is not easily revoked. It pervades the whole life; it is not an isolated bad choice, which can usually be lived down. And if we reject God’s will, we are then faced with living in continual sin. The bishop of Southwell did not put it too strongly when in Vocation and Ministry he declared that “what comes terribly near … the sin against the Holy Ghost is to choose our occupation or employment (so far as we have any real freedom of choice) from entirely selfish or interested notions—for that poisons all the wills of motive and injects every subsequent thought and action.”

We should not begrudge submitting to God in this or any other decision. After all, he alone knows all the factors, past, present, and future, and he alone knows what works for our ultimate good.

Worship And Work

When a person’s inner life seems shallow, his devotion as refreshing as a dried-up pond, it is often an indication that there has been no expression of his Christian faith in creative service. And when a person becomes so exhausted in his effort that he is ready to quit, it is a good indication that he has not fed his spirit with genuine prayer, meditation, and worship. When a man cultivates the inner life, which the five foolish virgins did not do, then he has that desire to express it in moral action. Then his moral action takes on fire, and direction, and purpose, and he comes back again to replenish his own lamp. I cannot overemphasize the truth that the Christian life must always be lived in the tension of worship and work.—From When Love Prevails: A Pastor Speaks to a Church in Crisis, by J. Herbert Gilmore, Jr. (Eerdmans, 1971, p. 58). Used by permission.

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