Callings Part III

"Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings….” Pro. 22:29

So what is your calling in life? This a question we have been looking at for the past few weeks and though even if we may not have managed this question very well in our own life, we owe it to our children to help them get a sense of leading and vision for their lives. It will be something they will struggle with, and they need some guidance besides Parade Magazine’s annual cover story on “How much do people make?” On the one hand, some people make huge occupational choices based purely on mercenary, economic terms. This is neither Godly nor a good recipe for a lifetime of happy, effective service. On the other hand, some follow their love of esoteric subjects without the slightest consideration for how that study would benefit society or provide a living wage. Somewhere between these poles, sound reason and God’s leading should prevail.

I ended last week with a strong exhortation to encourage hobbies in your children. They can be very valuable tools to awaken interests and inclinations. Unfortunately, playing video games does not qualify as a true hobby. Creating them would. But playing them merely enhances reaction times and visual recognition and demands little in terms of creative interaction. So much of our entertainment-obsessed culture is passive in nature. We need to look for things that awaken one’s sense of curiosity, wonder, and creativity. That can be a battle all in itself. I remember my first homemade telegraph set and the first time I took the head off of a lawn mower engine. Those were signature moments in my youth. Exciting!

But once we awaken a gift and discover a leading, we need to exercise ourselves in those gifts and leadings as “a workman that needeth not to be ashamed.” This was a source of failure in my life. I could easily have pursued a career as a research chemist if desire was all that was required. It fascinated me. It was something I was suited for in that I loved tinkering, creating, improvising, and working with unknowns. There was one thing lacking, however. I had failed to learn how to be a good student. If grades came easy, I enjoyed success. If I lacked interest or encountered difficulty, I accepted and learned to live with mediocrity. These were habits I learned in high school which became deadly in college. I quickly became disillusioned with chemistry and quit. I desperately needed coaching and encouragement in learning the discipline of applying myself as a “workman” that labors within his craft.

I have since learned that the mastery of every field of study or every basic skill involves a multitude of failures and calls for a disciplined effort to overcome them. Study, practice, patience, dedication, and consistent effort are involved in any calling. Love and a knack for a particular craft or job or skill is not enough. We have to marry that with the proper work ethic and study skills that can enable dreams to become reality. This is what makes learning to be a good student in grades K-12 so important. Whether it be math or learning to mow the lawn, every task involves a basic discipline. Being submitted to one’s teacher and learning accountability are spiritual battles that temper the soul and prepare it for greater things. What is really wonderful is when we meet a great mentor along the way who will communicate excitement for the task, a love of the craft, but also will encourage us through the learning curve, demanding just a little more than we think we are capable of doing. I pray you will think of yourself as that mentor, that coach, that craftsman, that teacher who runs alongside with both excitement and passion for the subject matter but also one who builds the discipline needed to win the prize.