The Wisdom of Work

Mostly agree. But the Reformed doctrine of vocation needs nuance.

From Batzig…

“The Reformers formulated the doctrine of vocation in response to the Roman Catholic insistence that ‘vocation’ or ‘calling’ was reserved for those entering the service of the church through the priesthood or a monastic order. Those doing so would renounce marriage, secular work, and economic advancement through taking vows of celibacy, obedience, and poverty. In response, the Reformers argued that all Christians are called by God to live faithfully in the three arenas of life: the household, the church, and the state.”1

John Calvin summarized the Reformed reclamation of the concept of vocation, when he wrote,

“We know that men were created for the express purpose of being employed in labor of various kinds, and that no sacrifice is more pleasing to God than when every man applies himself diligently to his own calling, and endeavors to live in such a manner as to contribute to the general advantage.”

The Calvin version simplified above is fine. What it doesn’t do—at least in that excerpt—is:

• Assume that a single vocation must be life-long/permanent
• Assume that the modern concept of a ‘job’ is the same thing as a ‘vocation’

We have way, way more job specialization nowadays than in the Reformation era. So a single ‘vocation’ could align with quite a few very different ‘jobs’ in a lifetime. But there’s really no reason to assume a vocation, in that sense, has to be life-long to begin with. Wasn’t it Amos who said he wasn’t a prophet… until he was?

Jesus was a carpenter/stone worker until He wasn’t.

Paul was a tent-maker/leather worker until that became more of a “side hustle.”

The beauty of the Reformed idea of vocation is that callings are (a) not just for pastors and other church workers and (b) there is nothing ‘better’ anyone can do than what they were made to do (across whatever ‘jobs’ that may entail).

Regarding the comment that some "jump from job to job", two thoughts come to mind. First, pastors who stay at a pastorate (even absent strife in the church and getting fired) for only five years or so.

Second, and this includes many pastors, a lot of people "jump from job to job" because a large portion (I'd say most, really) employers have adopted a short term mindset that compels large numbers of employees to either seek new employment when they're laid off (I've been there a few times), or tells sensible employees that they need to look for new employment purely in self-defense--I've been there, too.

Now if Batzig hasn't been confronted with that a lot, praise God. But it is reality for an awful lot of people today. There certainly are people who think they can "cubicle swap" their way to the top, but there are also a lot of people who are just trying to keep a degree of sanity and preserve their employability.

"People now jump from job to job throughout the course of their lives. If we viewed our work under the rubric of God’s calling, we would be more apt to settle into whatever lawful work God has gifted and called us to do—and, we would seek to do it for His glory. The garbage man—who picks up trash to better the community and to bear witness to the goodness and greatness of God—is fulfilling his vocation as unto the Lord."

My experience is that many employers pay more only when they have to. That is sometimes brought to a head when a union renegotiates its members’ contract. Outside of a union, it usually happens when other employers are paying more and employees start leaving for better-paying jobs. When I was in non-church work, I never had it happen that an employer came to me and said, “Business is doing well, and your hard work has contributed to that, so your pay is going up X%.” I never even had a Christian employer who was affected by Proverbs 3:27, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” People who jump from job to job probably benefit those who don’t by forcing employers to increase pay so everyone doesn’t leave. While a person might function as a garbage man, computer programmer, school teacher, or accountant, doing one’s job for the glory of God does not disallow one from “jumping from job to job.” It can also be for God’s glory for a person to add to his skills, to be able to take better care of his family, and to be better able to invest in God’s kingdom. I’m not sure what the author meant by “settling into...work,” but I’d rejoice over a young man who started as a municipal garbage collector and worked up to a job with better pay and benefits. That can be done for the glory of God, too.

Agree with the above comments. A person can be content and still try to improve his circumstances. Sometimes this requires a job change.

When I was in non-church work, I never had it happen that an employer came to me and said, “Business is doing well, and your hard work has contributed to that, so your pay is going up X%.”

I have had this experience—or very close to it. But it’s admittedly rare.

I want to throw this into the mix on ‘vocation’ also: why do we assume a work calling has to correlate with income? What I mean is that it’s not all that unusual for people to do one thing for income and another for their vocation—the work they love and feel specially gifted for. I don’t think there’s really any reason to assume that work/vocation has to be defined in terms of where your money comes from.