05/16/2023
Throughout the history of the church, there has been an ever-present divide between the sacred and the secular. Those whose choice of profession resides in the church are perceived as accepting a sacred calling, and those who work outside the confines of church employment are relegated to the rank of secular employment.
I beg to differ. And I believe the Bible does too.
In Jesus, all who accept His name as Lord and Savior receive the vocational calling of the sacred. Our vocation (calling) is to be fulfilled through whatever occupation (employment) we have. When we pursue our occupation with excellence, creativity, and hard work, we demonstrate a sense of sacredness. We “redeem” our occupation, regardless of how mundane or trivial we may consider it, to bring glory and honor to our heavenly Father, and we bear witness to the lordship of Jesus Christ over all things.
One of my favorite verses is found in Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
In his book, Deep Work, Cal Newport writes, “Your work is craft, and if you hone your ability and apply it with respect and care, then like the skilled wheelwright you can generate meaning in the daily efforts of your professional life” (90).
Too often I hear Christians complain about the doldrums of work. It’s boring. It’s meaningless. It has no eternal value. In contrast, I’m reminded of the medieval quarry worker’s creed: “We who cut mere stones must always be envisioning cathedrals” (ibid., 89).
Perhaps the issue is not that your job is too mundane, but that you are approaching it too mundanely. It might not be that you need a rarified job to give you meaning; you may need instead a rarified approach to your job.
I encourage you this week to focus on what you can do to envision the equivalence of cathedrals in your day-to-day. Then, apply that vision to the perceived menial tasks on your job’s to-do list. I love what Tish Warren wrote, “The crucible of our formation is in the monotony of our daily routines” (Liturgy of the Ordinary, 34).
Whatever you do—work, play, or pray—do it all for the glory of God, and you will generate a sense of sacredness. Your occupation will conform to your vocation, and your work will become sacred indeed.
