What do you call what you do? Is it a job, a career, something to pay the bills? Perhaps it is parenting, caring or volunteering? Would you describe what you do as a vocation?
The Cambridge Dictionary describes vocation as “a type of work that you feel you are suited to doing and to which you should give all your time and energy, or the feeling that a type of work suits you in this way”. For us as Christians the meaning of vocation is a little different. Our vocation is how God calls us to serve him in the world.
To understand vocation more fully, it is useful to look at the word itself. It is derived from the Latin word vocare which translates as ‘to call’. The words ‘vocal’ and ‘invocation’ also come from the same root. The Bible frequently mentions calling. Significantly, in Genesis, God calls creation into being from nothing; “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Gen 1:3). We are all called into being by God. Therefore, our vocation is to be our unique selves that God called us into existence to be.
As we are all unique individuals, our vocation is unique to us. However, there are some things that all vocations have in common – to know and love Christ more deeply, to love and serve others, and to care for our world. For some their calling might involve helping to spread the message of the gospel by preaching and teaching. For others, it might be coming alongside people who are struggling and need extra support.
But how do you do know what God is calling you to? Well, the first step is to listen. This listening process is called discernment. Prayer is how we primarily listen to God’s voice, but His voice could come to you at any time, so it is important to be open to it. Rob Harrison recently talked about listening to God in this video.
If you would like any help or guidance surrounding listening to your calling and discerning your vocation, there is a vocations team at the diocese. For more information see the Called section of the website.