I'm seriously thinking about vocational Christian work, but how can I be sure of God's will?
This is probably the most common question believers ask. Any sincere, Spirit-filled Christian who wants to know the will of God concerning his life can know it, but this is typically a process, not a dramatic revelation. Multitudes of well-meaning Christians are wasting their lives, powerless because they are waiting for some unusual sign, signal or flash of light from God before they act.
There is a lot of mythology surrounding the issue of knowing God's will and "being called." Many Christians think that a call from God will be an emotional experience when they hear God boom: "Do this! Go here!" In the words of Dr. Howard Hendricks, "The will of God is not nearly as focused on location or vocation as it is on character."
Being “called” primarily means being obedient to the ongoing direction of the Lord's leading in your life. God is calling every Christian to submit his whole life to Him and thereby bring glory to His name. "Whether then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).
For further information on how to know the will of God for your life, click on the link "Am I Called to Staff?" on the left sidebar to download more information and a Bible study on God's calling.
What if I plan to get a secular job and use my position to develop a ministry?
If God is clearly directing you to a career in a secular field, then you will be committed to your employer and his business. He is not paying you to evangelize on the job, but rather to make a profit for the stockholders of his company. You are to work heartily, as unto the Lord, whatever you do.
Sure, as a Christian you are called to be His ambassador every minute of every day, but you need to be sensitive to your employer's expectations. Your opportunities to witness and disciple will be significantly more limited than what you've been experiencing as a student. Keep in mind that it is very difficult to balance your commitment of time, talent, creativity and energy in your professional goals and in your ministry.
Think for a moment: What kind of ministry do you want to have? What will it look like? You probably see an attractive, creative outreach to your colleagues and clients. Perhaps you envision a discipleship group of people who have come to Christ through your ministry, and they are being built and trained to have their own ministries.
Let's ask the hard question: How many people do you know who are having this type of ministry? The scarcity of men and women having potent ministries of evangelism and discipleship in the work place should give us some indication of the difficulty of the task. Now, it is certainly not impossible. Yet it is often more difficult than what students anticipate.
A survey of young professionals seeking to minister in the market place revealed four predominant barriers to an effective ministry: 1) Pressure from employer not to "dispense religion" in the context of his business. 2) Pressure from the boss to "produce" leaves little time for ministry during the work day. 3) Commuting time included, 50- to 60-hour work weeks are the norm. That leaves little time or energy for ministry after work. 4) Little to no environment, encouragement or accountability is available to foster a ministry.
The difference between having a ministry on staff with AIA and in the business world is the difference between day and night. You have to perform in the work place. You have to be prepared every day. There is much less time for ministry. And, those who you desire reach have little time or inclination to talk about spiritual issues.