How are We to Think About Vocation? by Dr. Bryan McGraw

Our second author is Dr. Bryan McGraw. This is the first of two blog posts from his chapter. In the first post Dr. McGraw addresses the question: why integrate faith and vocation?  

Author Biography

Bryan McGraw is Associate Professor Politics at Wheaton College. Bryan has always had an interest in the normative and philosophical aspects of politics and discovered political theory only in graduate school. He is particularly interested in the ways modern states seek to establish and enforce their own normative visions and how religion plays into that process. He has taught previously at the University of Georgia, Notre Dame and Pepperdine University. His first book, Faith in Politics: Religion and Liberal Democracy, was published by Cambridge University Press, and he is beginning a project on pluralism, law and religion, and political theology. He earned an AM in Political Science from Brown University, an MA in Russian Area Studies from Georgetown, and his PhD in Political Science from Harvard University. Bryan and his wife Martha, a practicing Neurologist, live in Wheaton with their three children. They enjoy gardening, all manners of outdoor activities, and perfecting the art of pulled-pork BBQ sandwiches.

How are We to Think About Vocation?

All Christians understand that our deepest calling is to live faithfully as recipients of God’s grace and mercy, but we heirs of the Reformation should understand especially well that such a calling includes our everyday lives.  Living faithfully is not just a matter of proper worship or affirming the right doctrines (though those are important).  It is also a matter of living out our “secular” lives, the parts of our lives we share with all.  How to be a banker, a lawyer, a nurse or a carpenter is part of the life of faith, not something to the side of it.  So to think about vocation is to consider what we should be doing with ourselves in spheres of life that we share with all, concerns that often do not differ from what our neighbors and friends outside the faith share with us when thinking about their careers and life choices.  But what makes vocation different for the Christian, distinguishing it from mere career, is that it is freighted with our sense of participation in God’s work, His kingdom-work.  To think about vocation is to consider how our secular lives ought to reflect and participate in God’s providential care in the world at large: what are we called to do in the world as part of what God is already doing?

What is powerful about McGraw's statement here is that it suggests that when God calls Christians to specific vocations, he wants those in vocations to think about how they can do what they do “Christianly” and creatively explore what difference being a Christian makes in different vocations. God’s redemptive work in the world includes the social and cultural institutions that provide the context of our lives, including vocations and professions. Unless Christians think consciously about the integration of their faith into their work, they will adopt the patterns and norms of work in the world around them. They will also miss out on the creative opportunity rethink their work world in a beautiful way. 

Failing Faithfully by Dr. Justin Denholm

This the first in a series of posts, where we will be profiling each author and providing an excerpt of their chapter. Blogs are about engagement and interaction, and we are hoping that our small, but growing, readership will engage with each author in the comments. Our first author is Dr. Justin Denholm, who asks the question: is it right for Christians to seek success? 

Author Biography

Justin Denholm lives in Brunswick, Australia with his wife, three children and two chickens, where he has many challenging conversations about faith and life. Since 2008, he has coordinated the Centre for Applied Christian Ethics at Ridley Melbourne Mission and Ministry College, which concentrates on providing resources and support for Christians to engage with ethical issues in all aspects of life. Justin also works as an infectious diseases physician and epidemiologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Australia, where his clinical and research interests are focused on tuberculosis and other communicable diseases. He holds degrees in medicine, ethics, public health and epidemiology, and is actively involved in teaching programs for these subjects at the University of Melbourne. He has written or edited several books, including most recently a Christian guide to having better ethical discussions; Talking About Ethics: Negotiating the Maze (Acorn Press, 2011).

Is it right for Christians to seek success?

It is extremely tempting to approach our fields with a desire to reform them for God. This is particularly the case for those of us who inhabit workplaces and locations that are heavily secular in nature. Many of us long for increasing power and influence in these fields, with which we intend to shape them in ways that glorify God and attract people to him. We need to understand, though, that our ability to accomplish these goals is limited, and our motivation to do so is mixed.

We commonly look to examples like Daniel and Joseph as faithful people of God who succeed in the world. Clearly, there are times when God's purposes coincide with worldly success and influence. God can certainly use us as the CEO of a major corporation or as Nobel-winning scientists. Such people have served him faithfully before, and he can surely use them again. The problem I have, though, is that it doesn't seem at all clear to me that God intends for us to seek to serve him in these ways. Think of Daniel, kidnapped and press-ganged into service, or Joseph, sold into slavery. These men rose to power obliquely; they sought to follow God faithfully regardless of circumstance, and were used in ways that seem 'successful' to us. For every Daniel or Joseph, though, is a Jeremiah or Hosea; people who follow God's call in ways that lead them to suffer ridicule and be sidelined. God's call may not lead to the corner office that I think would suit my talents perfectly, but to caring for my disabled neighbour. Perhaps even more difficult is the idea that I may be asked to continue to serve God in my field of work but be “mediocre” in order to devote myself to the work of the local church or some other end.

In some situations, faithfulness may be rewarded in worldly pursuits. Traits like honesty may be recognised and lead to advancement in some fields. It seems to me far from inevitable that this will be the case, however. It is at least as likely that following Christ will lead us to worldly failure. Our priorities for serving our families and our churches may mean that we are less committed to our workplaces than others, and in some fields honesty may not be a pathway to career development! More fundamentally, though, we follow a crucified God and walk the road to Calvary. We serve a God who is most glorified in us when we are weak and powerless. We are people who are told we should be pitied if we do not have resurrection and vindication to look forward to. The question I ask myself, then, is 'how likely is it that faithful abandonment to his service will lead to a life of worldly influence and respect'?

So what does this mean for me as a Christian who aspires to lead? Well, most bluntly, it leads me to distrust my reasons for wanting to lead and influence. As much as I tell myself that my motivation is to serve God, to influence others in ways that glorify him, to lead my field towards aims that please him, I don't believe me. While Christian faith should not mean that we can never lead or be successful in worldly terms, I am increasingly convinced that these things should be thrust upon us reluctantly rather than be things we strive for.