I have been reading Anthony Hoekema’s book entitle, “The Bible and the Future”. At the end of the fourth chapter he says, “Being a citizen of the kingdom, therefore, means that we should see all of life and all of reality in the light of the goal of the redemption of the cosmos… It also includes a Christian view of vocation: all callings are from God, and all that we do in everyday life is to be done to God’s praise, whether this be study, teaching, preaching, business, industry, or housework” (54).

After reading that section, I started thinking about the profession to which God has called me, what all it entails, and how I should approach and allow it to reflect the internal calling. In essence, the Lord has called me to love people as He loves, revealing the life of Christ in my words and actions. My profession is formally called “ministry”, but is it far removed from any other profession. I may have gone through the formal training of seminary, but for all of us who profess Christ as our Savior have the same calling as I do. My job is to equip and train, but our job together is one of proclamation.

This leads me to think more and more about our daily interactions, including conversations, work ethics, etc and how they reflect the character of Christ. Do we, whether we are doctors, sales associates, carpenters, welders, housewives/fathers, present ourselves to a fallen world in such a way that shows the infinite love of the Savior.

At this point, I should stop and offer a two-part caveat to my last statement. First, by infinite, I mean the love that God has for those whom He has chosen. I chose the word infinite to describe the breadth and depth of His love. By leaving His heavenly abode and take on the flesh of man to save us from our sins is the supreme act of love, and infinite is one of the few words to describe such a wonderful act. Secondly, I am not speaking in relativistic terms by using the word infinite. I’m not saying that the love Christ exhibited and the love we are to show should overlook sin and sinful behaviors. Quite the contrary. By our love, we should stand against sin, in ourselves and others.

As I end this blog, let me ask you two questions. First, what do you call your profession? Secondly, how does/can your daily life reflect your citizenship in the Kingdom of God by His loving sacrifice of Christ on your behalf? I would love for you to leave a comment.