Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him … Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.

1 Corinthians 7:17

We live in a world, which marks achievement by position, status, and wealth. Those with access to proper education, financial backing, or the right parental lineage seem to climb the ladder up, up, up, while others find themselves struggling to eke out a middle-class existence.

The American Dream calls to us from atop the ladder. “Reach for me,” it says. “Strive to achieve the next promotion, the next raise, the next toy.”

The messages are subtle, there is no doubt, but in an achievement-based system it can be easy to have one’s sights always set toward the future, toward the next opportunity.

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he warns the church against just this kind of thinking. Some members of the church were freedmen who were afforded a certain level of opportunity, while others remained in onerous positions of servitude. No doubt, the servants wished for the opportunities of their more wealthy brothers. But Paul, ever-mindful of the Gospel’s leveling power, reminds them that each occupies the same position in Christ—bondservant.

Knowing the Gospel’s ability to penetrate all societal strata, and reiterating that all are servants to Jesus, Paul instructs the church to remain faithful to their particular positions. “[R]emain in the situation God has called you to,” Paul writes.

Granted, we live in a different economic reality these days. Opportunities come, and situations change. But as we engage in our day-to-day occupations, perhaps we’d do well to remember Paul’s words. Servants of Jesus as we are, we hope less for the next promotion, raise, or shiny new toy, and we consider our present occupations as an opportunity to embody the good news of Jesus to those around us.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: In your occupation, do you find yourself always looking to the next achievement, the next promotion? How do you see your present position as a calling of God? (Write specific examples) If you never advanced any higher in your occupation, could you be content? If not, why?

PRAYER: Lord, you have called me to my present situation. Allow me the strength, patience, and wisdom to remain faithful to that calling. Teach me contentment in my occupation, free me from any jealousy of the advancement of others, and give me joy in the work with which you have blessed me. Remind me that I am your servant, and help me carry the message of your Gospel to those around me. Amen.

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What Do You Do?

If you sit with someone long enough, included in the initial small talk (“Where do you live?” “How do you know so-and-so?”) someone in the conversation will inevitably ask, “What do you do?” What are we looking for when we ask that question? And what do we hear when we’re on the receiving end of that question?

What we do is important stuff in this world, and God desires greatly to be invited into what it is we find ourselves doing every day. God takes delight in the work of our hands. But do we sometimes confuse what we and others “do” with who we are and, especially, who we are in Christ? Would our question change if we thought about it more deeply? And what about our answer? How about you? What Do You Do?

Featured image by Chris Ford. Used with Permission. Source via Flickr.