My Vocation is to be Christian

This past Friday, I was lucky enough to listen to a presentation by Dr. Mike Lawler, Professor Emeritus of Theology. His talk was titled, “Christian Vocation and the Service of Justice.” One thing he said that really stuck with me was his point about what his vocation is. He said that his vocation is not a theologian or a professor. His vocation is to be Christian. He is called to be Christ-like. I’m always trying to find ways to define vocation and more personally trying to discover what my vocation is and what I am called to do. We are too often trying to define who we are by the careers we pursue, the hobbies we enjoy, and even the family life we have chosen. In my case I’ve struggled with finding my career identity but that is just that – my career identity. It is not my identity or what makes me who I am. So then I look at my hobbies and interests. I have a passion for music: Playing my saxophone, composing music, and listening to music. These are hobbies but still not a vocation. So then I look at family life. I could say that being a son, brother, husband, uncle, nephew, father (someday), grandfather (someday much later), is what I am. While that is true in the literal sense, just saying that I am a husband doesn’t make that my vocation. It goes much deeper than that.

While all of the things I mentioned before are pieces of what makes up “me”, they are only that. What Dr. Lawler said brings up a good point. The way you go about doing these things has a bigger impact on the definition of “my vocation”. Am I living like a Christian should live? In my career am I doing work in a way that has Christ in mind and others in mind? Or am I only working to climb the corporate ladder and have the most money, prestige, and acclaim? In my hobbies and interests am I spending leisure time in a way that benefits more than just my own desire to relax and have fun? Or am I combining my interests and talents in a way that benefits the greater good? As a husband, am I only doing the bare minimum to make the relationship with my wife work? Or am I going out of my way to ensure our happiness and success as a married couple? Am I just being a husband because I have the marriage license that says so? Or am I living this particular aspect of my identity in a Christ-like way?

While there is nothing wrong with trying to put a finger on what our vocation in life is, I say that we should spend more time striving to be Christ-like. If we live this way in all the things that we do and are, then our vocation will shine through; even if we can’t say, “My vocation in life is …”