This is the final post in a series that has focused on raising children to know their God-given identity in Christ. For this last installment, I want to look at professional and personal vocation. In the secular word, “vocation” is defined as “a strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation.” Martin Luther defined earthly vocations as “masks of God.” In other words, it is through ordinary people and their ordinary actions that God ministers to others. Through the mother, teacher, doctor, waitress, and plumber, God works in this world. The purpose of any vocation is to love and serve one another. Let’s consider this more deeply as we examine professional and personal vocation.
PROFESSIONAL VOCATION
I think that people in the world look at some careers as more godly than others. Even Christians do this. We somehow categorize jobs so that a pastor or a Christian day school teacher are recognized as doing the work of God, but an electrician or baker are somehow less connected to God’s work in the world. This is a broken view of vocation. The truth is, God works through all of his people in this world. The plumber and electrician serve others. The baker and accountant serve others. Even a factory worker serves others by creating the goods needed within a community.
As Christian parents, I believe that it’s important to pass on a biblical understanding of vocation to our children. At some point, they will need to assess their skills and talents in order to seek out a future profession. They should know that their gifts are God-given and needed in the world. For Christians, all professions should be thought of as service to God’s kingdom.
In Mark 12:31, Jesus says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” We can all do this through any profession. No matter the career a young adult chooses, they should know that, through their work, they will serve the Lord by serving others. The nurse wears a “mask of God.” The real estate agent and garbage collector wear a “mask of God.” Through any profession, a Christian extends the hands and heart of God.
PERSONAL VOCATION
Aside from titles like therapist, fire fighter, and CEO, Christians also hold titles such as father, mother, husband, or wife. These too are vocations. In these roles, we wear a “mask of God.” When a mother changes a child’s diaper or mops the floor, she is doing the work of God. When a husband does the dishes or mows the lawn, he is doing the work of God. These vocations are important too. As a Christian, I believe they are even more important than the professional vocations we hold out in the world. The sacrificial service we give to our spouse and children is a mirror of God’s love. His love flows through us to our families.
Personal vocation should be elevated within the church. This work is God’s work. When families are weak, professional vocations suffer. When families are strong, professional vocations thrive. Personal vocations are the foundation on which professional vocations stand. As Christians, we are first a child of God, then a spouse, then a parent, and finally we may hold a professional title. We can do each of those jobs well when we rest in the security of the vocation that precedes the next.
Our children should be taught that personal vocations exist, and that they hold great importance in the world. A woman who chooses to stay at home, is not “just a homemaker,” rather through that vocation, she is fully offering God’s love and service to her family. She is no less as “homemaker” than she would be as “teacher” or “doctor.” Our personal vocations are valued and blessed by God, even when our culture places less value in the roles of husband or mother than that of lawyer or engineer.
THE CULTURAL OUTRAGE OVER HARRISON BUTKER’S COMMENCEMENT SPEECH
HIS WORDS
In a 2024 commencement speech at a Catholic university, the Kansas City Chiefs’ kicker, Harrison Butker, spoke of faith and the role of vocation. He said:
In the small ways, by living out your vocation, you will ensure that God’s Church continues and the world is enlightened by your example. For the ladies present today…Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into the world…I’m on the stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation. I’m beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.
THE OUTRAGE
These comments (and a few others) have sparked social media outrage. Why? For decades, our culture has been driven by the feminist movement. The idea is that women can be anything and do anything that a man can do. I agree with the sentiment, but as a society, to prop up this ideal, traditional feminine vocations have been belittled as mere “type-casting.” So a woman who leans into her personal vocation of homemaker, is somehow less respected than a woman who runs a Fortune500 company. This shouldn’t be so. In fact, a woman who acknowledges her personal vocation as the most important work is truly aligned with God’s order of creation.
As humans, we can absolutely hold more than one title. We can be “wife” and “mother,” while also being “lawyer,” or “surgeon,” or “politician.” All of these vocations serve the Lord. All are a “mask of God.” As Christians, we should recognize the order of importance, though. Our greatest responsibility is to our spouse and to our children. It’s the highest calling that God gives to any Christian. Any professional career, while also serving God’s kingdom, is primarily in support of the family. A professional income provides for the needs of a family. There is no vocation more important than the roles we fill within our own homes. This is the divide between our culture and a Christian understanding of vocation.
Society today belittles the family. Men are not needed. A woman’s professional career comes first. Our culture has toppled God’s intended order upside down. You can see this throughout our communities. With the breakdown of the family, we also see an increase in crime, drug-use, and sexual assault/brokenness. It’s from this place of disorder that individuals are angered by the truth of God’s intentions for us.
OUR ROLE AS CHRISTIAN PARENTS
As Christian parents, we want to ground our children with an identity in Christ. Because we are children of God, we are loved, chosen, forgiven, and redeemed. All of these words speak truth into our vocations. They shape the “masks of God” that we bring to others in this world. Even as children, our kids hold the vocation of “son” or “daughter.” Through their “mask of God,” they are to love and serve those within their home and those within their community.
When we understand our vocations in this world, and the purpose that God has for each of us, we rightly interact within our own community. We are God’s hands. We are his heart. As Christians, we extend God’s reach into the world.
As Christian parents, we should help our children to know their value. God has a place for them too. They are needed. They are useful and valuable, even before they’ve chosen a professional vocation. Let’s help our children to understand God’s design. Let’s guide them to hear God’s calling over their lives. Professional and personal vocations are created by God. As humans, we were made for service. This is an important lesson to teach our children. Through work and service (as opposed to idleness), we extend the hand of God to others. Likewise, we are blessed through such selfless service.
OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES
Integrating the Faith at Home: Raising Children to Know Their Christian Identity
Second Week: Practical, Innovative Habits
Third Week: Unusual Compassion and Grace
Fourth Week: The Value of Christian Relationships
Fifth Week: Introducing Biblical Sexuality
Sixth Week : Faith-Filled Digital Citizens
Seventh Week: Managing God’s Wealth
Eighth Week: Professional and Personal Vocation
For another post that I’ve written on Christian Identity, see Christian Identity and Personal Wellness.
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