"Career"
Mark 2:13-22
Job hunting—Matthew wasn’t looking for a new job, but he found one. Often when we look for a job, we can’t find one. But we’ve all been interviewed for jobs. And we’ve all nervously endured those interviews thinking about what not to do: Don’t bite your fingernails; don’t fidget; don’t interrupt; don’t burp. We know we’d disqualify ourselves instantly if we slipped up and did any of these “don’ts.”
But the word on the street is that some applicants are unfamiliar with the concept of interview etiquette. In fact, a few personnel executives of major corporations have started swapping stories of the most bizarre and unusual behavior by job seekers. For instance, a balding candidate abruptly excused himself and returned to the office a few minutes later wearing a hairpiece. One applicant wore earbuds and said she could listen to the interviewer and her music at the same time. Another stated that if he were hired, he would demonstrate his loyalty by having the corporate logo tattooed on his forearm. And one applicant, pointing to a picture on the executive’s desk, asked who the lovely babe was. When the interviewer said that was his wife, the applicant asked if she was home and wanted her phone number. That executive called security!
Here’s Matthew slumped at his booth on the border, bored out of his mind in a dead-end job. He’s a petty functionary for the occupying power in his own country, making him something of a pariah among his own people. On top of this, everyone assumes that he’s a cheat, since most tax collectors were known to add a hefty service charge to the taxpayers who line up to pay to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to the taxman what is the taxman’s. So Matthew is ripe for a career change, but he’s got no clear way to move up or out. Then he encounters Jesus, who titillates the taxman with an unexpected invitation: “Follow me.” And to the jaw-dropping shock of the jaded taxpayers jostling in line, Matthew leaps out of his cubicle, leaves his denarii on his desk, and bolts up to follow Jesus.
Career-conscious Christians, listen up! Is Jesus calling us to reevaluate how we’re spending our time, our lives, our careers? Is He challenging us to break down and bust up the barrier between office and vocation, between what we do for a living and what we do to serve God? Is He trying to get us to use our time, talents, and treasures for more than business building and wealth creation? While we certainly can serve God wherever we are, we may actually be at a Matthew Moment in our lives—a time in which God is calling us to something greater, greater than supplying services and producing products, greater than punching clocks and cashing checks, greater than working hard now so that we can play hard later. God is challenging us to be more like His Son, Jesus Christ.
You’ll know you’re ready for something more—something more satisfying, something more holy, something more Christlike—when you discover that your own plans for the future are not nearly as exciting as God’s. Ask someone where he sees himself in five or ten years; if he’s in charge of his own life, he knows the answer to that question. But if God’s in charge of his life, he has no idea how to answer that question.
As Christ-centered believers, we look for God to be at the helm, helping us on a course that is clearly His way. We follow Christ because we know He trusted God completely, all the way through the cross and the empty tomb. As we follow Him on the path of discipleship, through bread breaking with sinners and roller-coaster rides on stormy seas, we’ll grasp that God’s career path for us is far more thrilling and satisfying than anything we could map out on our own. After all, what would you rather do? How would you rather live? George Bernard Shaw wrote, “This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.”
With the Lord charting the course, we’ll be able to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, and speak God’s Word--we’ll be able to pass on the love of God. What a fantastic career move! But hold on a second. Does that mean that everyone has to become a full-time religious leader, a pastor, or paycheck-drawing church pro? Not at all! Not everyone can—or should—follow Jesus as a preacher or teacher or religious professional.
It’s much better if Jesus has a disciple in medicine or marketing or mortgage servicing. It’s much more constructive for the kingdom if there’s a Jesus person in the military or police work or pest control. It’s much more glorious for the Gospel if there’s a Christlike person working behind a cash register or on a construction site or in a day-care center. Take note that Jesus didn’t say to Matthew, “Become a minister.” No, He says, “Follow Me.” And that following can happen in many places and in a multitude of ways. And however it’s done it can spread God’s will and spur other people to find Christ in their lives.
A room-service waiter at a Marriott hotel learned that the sister of a guest had just died. The waiter, named Charles, bought a sympathy card, had hotel staff members sign it, and gave it to the distraught guest with a piece of hot apple pie.
“Mr. Marriott,” the guest later wrote to the president of Marriott Hotels, “I’ll never meet you. And I don’t need to meet you. Because I met Charles, I know what you stand for. I want to assure you that as long as I live, I will stay at your hotels. And I will tell my friends to stay at your hotels.”
It all works the exact same way—regardless of what our jobs are—in our Christian lives. Christ has called us to follow Him, to be both His instruments and His examples in this world. And if we’ll follow Him closely enough, people will be able to see Him in us. It’s a grand career opportunity—to be a walking and living and breathing example of Jesus right here on this earth! It really is as has been said so many times: You’re the only Jesus some will ever see. Erwin Lutzer put it this way: “John Q. Citizen will never be convinced of the credibility of the Christian faith until he becomes personally acquainted with someone who lives out the Christian life, applying its values to every situation.”
One of the key lines in the book Jesus CEO says, “In the wilderness, Jesus was given several ‘business opportunities.’ But He resisted them because they did not fit his mission statement.” So what is your mission for Christ and His church? What opportunities might be presented to you that will fit into your mission statement?
Dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a chief executive officer of a multinational corporation, decided he’d explain the problem with education. He argued, “What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?” He reminded the other dinner guests that it’s true what they say about teachers: “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” To corroborate, he said to another guest, “You’re a teacher, Hilda. Be honest. What do you make?”
Hilda, who had a reputation of honesty and frankness, replied, “You want to know what I make? I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I can make a C-plus feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor and an A-minus feel like a slap in the face if the student didn’t do his or her very best. I can make kids sit through forty minutes of study hall in absolute silence. I can make parents tremble in fear when I call their home. You want to know what else I make?
“I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them criticize. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them write. I make them read, read, read. I make them spell “definitely’ and ‘beautiful’ over and over again until they’ll never misspell either one of those words again. I make them show all their work in math and hide it all on their final drafts in English. I elevate them to experience music and art and joy in the performance, so their lives are rich, full of kindness and culture, and they take pride in themselves and their accomplishments. I make them understand that if you have the brains, then you can follow your heart. I make them understand that if someone ever tries to judge them by what you make, they should pay him no attention. You want to know what I make? I make a difference. And by the way, what do you make?”
It’s an excellent question to ask ourselves—as long as we ask it excluding money as any part of the answer: What do you make? For those of you who are willing to walk behind Christ and be a follower of His, it’s going to be a rough and tough path—and yet amazing things can happen. This could be your Matthew Moment; this could be that time in which God is calling you to something greater. Are you ready for a career change, a job switch, a new role as a Christlike saint in the real world? There are no tough interview questions to be answered, only an affirmative response to the invitation—His invitation—“Follow Me.”
Let us pray: Lord, get us going and growing in our lives—our careers—for You. Don’t let us waste any more time. Don’t let us wait for maturity or training before beginning to follow You, but to live out our faith in You right away with whatever knowledge or skill or experience You’ve already granted us. So may the world in which we live every day see You living in us. We pray in Your name.
Mark 2:13-22
Job hunting—Matthew wasn’t looking for a new job, but he found one. Often when we look for a job, we can’t find one. But we’ve all been interviewed for jobs. And we’ve all nervously endured those interviews thinking about what not to do: Don’t bite your fingernails; don’t fidget; don’t interrupt; don’t burp. We know we’d disqualify ourselves instantly if we slipped up and did any of these “don’ts.”
But the word on the street is that some applicants are unfamiliar with the concept of interview etiquette. In fact, a few personnel executives of major corporations have started swapping stories of the most bizarre and unusual behavior by job seekers. For instance, a balding candidate abruptly excused himself and returned to the office a few minutes later wearing a hairpiece. One applicant wore earbuds and said she could listen to the interviewer and her music at the same time. Another stated that if he were hired, he would demonstrate his loyalty by having the corporate logo tattooed on his forearm. And one applicant, pointing to a picture on the executive’s desk, asked who the lovely babe was. When the interviewer said that was his wife, the applicant asked if she was home and wanted her phone number. That executive called security!
Here’s Matthew slumped at his booth on the border, bored out of his mind in a dead-end job. He’s a petty functionary for the occupying power in his own country, making him something of a pariah among his own people. On top of this, everyone assumes that he’s a cheat, since most tax collectors were known to add a hefty service charge to the taxpayers who line up to pay to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to the taxman what is the taxman’s. So Matthew is ripe for a career change, but he’s got no clear way to move up or out. Then he encounters Jesus, who titillates the taxman with an unexpected invitation: “Follow me.” And to the jaw-dropping shock of the jaded taxpayers jostling in line, Matthew leaps out of his cubicle, leaves his denarii on his desk, and bolts up to follow Jesus.
Career-conscious Christians, listen up! Is Jesus calling us to reevaluate how we’re spending our time, our lives, our careers? Is He challenging us to break down and bust up the barrier between office and vocation, between what we do for a living and what we do to serve God? Is He trying to get us to use our time, talents, and treasures for more than business building and wealth creation? While we certainly can serve God wherever we are, we may actually be at a Matthew Moment in our lives—a time in which God is calling us to something greater, greater than supplying services and producing products, greater than punching clocks and cashing checks, greater than working hard now so that we can play hard later. God is challenging us to be more like His Son, Jesus Christ.
You’ll know you’re ready for something more—something more satisfying, something more holy, something more Christlike—when you discover that your own plans for the future are not nearly as exciting as God’s. Ask someone where he sees himself in five or ten years; if he’s in charge of his own life, he knows the answer to that question. But if God’s in charge of his life, he has no idea how to answer that question.
As Christ-centered believers, we look for God to be at the helm, helping us on a course that is clearly His way. We follow Christ because we know He trusted God completely, all the way through the cross and the empty tomb. As we follow Him on the path of discipleship, through bread breaking with sinners and roller-coaster rides on stormy seas, we’ll grasp that God’s career path for us is far more thrilling and satisfying than anything we could map out on our own. After all, what would you rather do? How would you rather live? George Bernard Shaw wrote, “This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.”
With the Lord charting the course, we’ll be able to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, and speak God’s Word--we’ll be able to pass on the love of God. What a fantastic career move! But hold on a second. Does that mean that everyone has to become a full-time religious leader, a pastor, or paycheck-drawing church pro? Not at all! Not everyone can—or should—follow Jesus as a preacher or teacher or religious professional.
It’s much better if Jesus has a disciple in medicine or marketing or mortgage servicing. It’s much more constructive for the kingdom if there’s a Jesus person in the military or police work or pest control. It’s much more glorious for the Gospel if there’s a Christlike person working behind a cash register or on a construction site or in a day-care center. Take note that Jesus didn’t say to Matthew, “Become a minister.” No, He says, “Follow Me.” And that following can happen in many places and in a multitude of ways. And however it’s done it can spread God’s will and spur other people to find Christ in their lives.
A room-service waiter at a Marriott hotel learned that the sister of a guest had just died. The waiter, named Charles, bought a sympathy card, had hotel staff members sign it, and gave it to the distraught guest with a piece of hot apple pie.
“Mr. Marriott,” the guest later wrote to the president of Marriott Hotels, “I’ll never meet you. And I don’t need to meet you. Because I met Charles, I know what you stand for. I want to assure you that as long as I live, I will stay at your hotels. And I will tell my friends to stay at your hotels.”
It all works the exact same way—regardless of what our jobs are—in our Christian lives. Christ has called us to follow Him, to be both His instruments and His examples in this world. And if we’ll follow Him closely enough, people will be able to see Him in us. It’s a grand career opportunity—to be a walking and living and breathing example of Jesus right here on this earth! It really is as has been said so many times: You’re the only Jesus some will ever see. Erwin Lutzer put it this way: “John Q. Citizen will never be convinced of the credibility of the Christian faith until he becomes personally acquainted with someone who lives out the Christian life, applying its values to every situation.”
One of the key lines in the book Jesus CEO says, “In the wilderness, Jesus was given several ‘business opportunities.’ But He resisted them because they did not fit his mission statement.” So what is your mission for Christ and His church? What opportunities might be presented to you that will fit into your mission statement?
Dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a chief executive officer of a multinational corporation, decided he’d explain the problem with education. He argued, “What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?” He reminded the other dinner guests that it’s true what they say about teachers: “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” To corroborate, he said to another guest, “You’re a teacher, Hilda. Be honest. What do you make?”
Hilda, who had a reputation of honesty and frankness, replied, “You want to know what I make? I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I can make a C-plus feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor and an A-minus feel like a slap in the face if the student didn’t do his or her very best. I can make kids sit through forty minutes of study hall in absolute silence. I can make parents tremble in fear when I call their home. You want to know what else I make?
“I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them criticize. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them write. I make them read, read, read. I make them spell “definitely’ and ‘beautiful’ over and over again until they’ll never misspell either one of those words again. I make them show all their work in math and hide it all on their final drafts in English. I elevate them to experience music and art and joy in the performance, so their lives are rich, full of kindness and culture, and they take pride in themselves and their accomplishments. I make them understand that if you have the brains, then you can follow your heart. I make them understand that if someone ever tries to judge them by what you make, they should pay him no attention. You want to know what I make? I make a difference. And by the way, what do you make?”
It’s an excellent question to ask ourselves—as long as we ask it excluding money as any part of the answer: What do you make? For those of you who are willing to walk behind Christ and be a follower of His, it’s going to be a rough and tough path—and yet amazing things can happen. This could be your Matthew Moment; this could be that time in which God is calling you to something greater. Are you ready for a career change, a job switch, a new role as a Christlike saint in the real world? There are no tough interview questions to be answered, only an affirmative response to the invitation—His invitation—“Follow Me.”
Let us pray: Lord, get us going and growing in our lives—our careers—for You. Don’t let us waste any more time. Don’t let us wait for maturity or training before beginning to follow You, but to live out our faith in You right away with whatever knowledge or skill or experience You’ve already granted us. So may the world in which we live every day see You living in us. We pray in Your name.
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