|
Return to
Current IPS Features
Return
to Catalogue
IPS
Features Staff
International
Press Service
|
|
5-4-03
CALLINGS
AND JOBS
For years, I thought
callings and jobs had to be the same thing. Every time I'd get a new
job, I would wonder if it was my calling. Every time I felt my calling
was something other than my job, I would become unhappy and restless.
Now I can look back and see I was practicing my calling and jobs
simultaneously. I always had a weekend job of playing my music. And
that's one of my callings. I always did speaking for churches and
groups. That, too, was one of my callings.
Whenever and wherever possible, our jobs should be our callings. But I
couldn't get a job playing music and speaking. Until now. That is why I
am enjoying this time of my life so well.
We think too much in a vocational bag. We are so robotized by the
economic system of society that we tend to see ourselves as a cog in
this great economic system and to compare our jobs to callings.
This is not all bad because we do need a stream of income to finance our
life. And jobs are important. I can see that some jobs I have held were
important even when I disliked them. They taught me skills I needed for
the "rest of my life."
But there is a higher dimension to this thing of callings. We are not
just called to work; we are primarily called TO BE. To be kind and
loving wherever we are. To develop the abilities and skills we possess.
To grow great souls.
Look back. Study your years. Recall all your jobs. You will observe that
your work went better when you were being a loving person. When you were
using your precious time down here in this schoolhouse called Life to
learn more, experience deeper, and to take others into your heart.
Yes, growing a better soul is always our highest calling.
|
