Calling: A Dream

Is the Gospel a cage that locks away our dreams? I know too many people enslaved to the word “calling.” They have a narrow definition of what the word means. To make matters worse, they are given such a definition by a pastor who merely hands down what they were once given. Pastors make horrible career counselors. We do pastors a disservice when we ask them to define what our talents and dreams should be. They are called to shepherd, teach, and proclaim the faith to the local community entrusted to them. They care deeply for their people, but God has not called pastors to define your calling on his behalf. They are to teach how the Gospel informs and propels our dreams.

The Gospel is not a cage; it is an orientation and motivation for our dreams. A “calling” informed and propelled by the Gospel is an ocean to swim in; not a glass of water we drink to help us swallow bitter pills of reality. An ocean has boundaries (just as God designed), but getting from one shore to the other is a long journey. It takes big dreams to travel such distances.

The Church isn’t always the best place to dream. So many of us find a subtle limiting current in the way the Church describes how we are to live our professional and personal life. Many of us never hear how God’s creational mandate to Adam (be fruitful, multiply, and have dominion) is to be lived out by us today. Most talented people seem to be recruited to be pastors and ministers because the Church knows little else to call us to. But there are far too many pastors who should not be pastors. This could be one of the reasons pastors don’t make the best career counselors.

The Church should be the best place to have big dreams and wild pursuits because it knows the One who makes every creative fiber in our being. Even more, the Church knows the calling of Jesus to proclaim The Good News AS YOU GO. There are endless ways to “as you go”. The Church needs people who dare to find different ways to work and live out the beauty of the Gospel. The church needs people to be great accountants for more reasons than the Church’s budget. The church needs great musicians making great music that will never be “worship songs” sung in Sunday gatherings. Great speakers that believe in Jesus are not always called to be preachers. And great teachers are not bound to be pastors.

Paint, imprint, photograph, cobble, sculpt, cut hair, build, manage, teach, write, sing, create, heal, mend, clean, plant, fly, run, chase. Pursue a dream that is fulfilling, but don’t let your cup be the only one you fill. Make a living. Make a GOOD living. Just don’t let your bank account be the only place you deposit your money. Spend your time making great food but don’t let your mouth be the only one you feed. Grow and prepare your babies, but don’t let them be the only children you care and advocate for. There is a big world in need of beauty and restoration. Dream big about how you want to be a part of spreading the goodness of The Good News. The Gospel is the orientation and motivation for our dreams, so, as you go…