Butchers, Bakers and Candlestick Makers

I was recently reading an advice column in a Christian magazine where a young woman, who was at that point in life that she needed to decide on a career, was having second thoughts about her preferred path. She loved to cook and had dreams of being a world-class chef. For that reason she was studying culinary arts and restaurant management.

Her problem? She was wondering how she could serve God in this career. The advice columnist told the young woman that she could still serve God as a cook. "Who knows? God may use you to treat traveling missionaries when they pass through your church, or He may use your cooking as a way to open the door to sharing your faith with someone in a restaurant who's blown away by what you've prepared."

And while that advice is certainly correct, it's also incomplete. Why must her passion have only a utilitarian value, good only insofar as it helps advance something else? Why can't she pursue cooking simply for the love of cooking?

Both the young woman and the advice columnist are operating under the false premise that we serve God only by being evangelists or, perhaps, by serving those who evangelize. It's the myth of the so-called full-time Christian worker. This myth creates second-class citizens of all those who love the Lord but, apparently, don't serve Him through their workaday lives. I wonder how many people are miserable in their careers as "full-time Christian workers" because they've fallen for the same fiction.

When I first became a Christian 27 years ago, I was eager to serve God, but I faced a similar "dilemma" as this young lady. As far back as I could remember, I'd wanted to be a writer. But I thought the only way I could serve God was as a minister or maybe as a missionary to Africa. (I'd already lived in Africa for several years at that point, so I had no romantic illusions about the continent.) I was genuinely torn between my desire to serve God and my desire to tell stories.

A wise woman at my church showed me the work of Dorothy Sayers, Flannery O'Connor and George MacDonald and told me all were great writers and devout Christians. It was a revelation. She told me that my passion to write stories was put there by God, and while I could use my love of writing to serve God directly through teaching, I could also write stories for the sheer pleasure of it -- and for His pleasure.

Unfortunately, there are some who, despite great talent, believe that the only way to serve God is directly through evangelism. Again, it's not wrong -- just incomplete. In his book Eyes Wide Open, William Romanowski writes of several Christian musicians:

The late Keith Green reportedly said, "As for me, I repent of ever having made a record or ever having sung a song unless it's provoked people to follow Jesus, to lay down their whole life before him, to give him everything." Can a song really do that, "provoke people to follow Jesus," or is that the work of the Holy Spirit? Likewise, [Christian musician] Carman explains, "I don't just want to spend my time on social commentary because there's too much of it going on and it doesn't deliver anyone from sin." And the members of a Christian rock group said, "Issues are great, but there's no transforming or cleansing power in them."

These sentiments are admirable, but I believe they're mistaken. Why can't one of these artists write a beautiful love song to his wife or a soothing lullaby for a child? Why can't he write a beautiful song whose primary purpose is to praise God, not to convert unbelievers? Why can't he write an instrumental piece for the sheer sake of writing something beautiful? I believe using your God-given talents in this way is honoring God just as much, if not more, than producing mediocre work with no heart in it. To be sure, you must "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15), but you also serve God by doing whatever you do with passion and to the best of your ability.

One of my favorite movie scenes is from Chariots of Fire, where the sister of Olympic runner Eric Liddell questions why his passion for running seems stronger than his passion to become a missionary. Liddell answered, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure."

God made me -- and you -- for a purpose. What do you love to do? What gives that little tickle in the belly when you think about it? Sure, it might be as a missionary or preacher. But it might be as a butcher, baker or candlestick maker. No matter what it is, "work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (Colossians 3:23-24).

Comments

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1. Christina (in green) said the following at 12:11 PM on Jul 7:

Kids, kids, all day simply kids.

They give me that tickle in my belly :)

From cuddling, tickling, chasing, and giggling...kids kids kids!

Lol.

2. Sarah P. said the following at 12:12 PM on Jul 7:

Amen! Now, this may be stretching Scripture, but I know at one point Paul exhorts that all people should try to exercise the gift of prophecy, no matter what their other gifts. Doing a little research into what "prophecy" is, I see that some people call it the ability to point toward Jesus as the center of all things, the One who orders the universe. Cooking and all the other arts glorify Jesus from their sheer creativity, being able to "make things" the way the Father did when He issued forth the Word. Jesus is beauty; Jesus is truth; Jesus is love. Bringing out any or all of these attributes in the world helps return it to its proper order. And since Jesus provides the power to order everything, that means that the ability to communicate beauty, truth, and love is truly divine.

3. obewan said the following at 12:31 PM on Jul 7:

I graduated from a major evangelical university famous for majors like engineering, math, computer science, and pre-med. The school and professors had a saying and philosophy that went like this: “All truth comes from God.”

It follows that a person can serve God in nearly any profession if he or she has the right priorities. We need more Godly stock brokers/investment bankers/doctors/engineers/scientists for the good of society. The other aspect of it is that the workplace is as much a mission field as Africa. (Maybe without the same level of self sacrifice though.)

On the subject of inspirational music with no lyrics, Phil Keaggy if famous for it. I love his classical and jazz guitar meditations and still find them quite unique in the realm of contemporary Christian music.

4. Jo said the following at 1:44 PM on Jul 7:

Amen amen amen!!! I can't tell you how much I agree with this post. I write songs, and I write about everything. Some are unashamedly Christian in theme. Most aren't. I play them all with the same passion. I would love for people to come to Christ through my music, but honestly, my drive in music is simply to create.

A friend of mine once commented on my MSN avatar, which was a painting by a Christian artist called 'Salvation'. When I told him that, he said "Ah, so it's a conversation starter for when you talk to non-Christians?" I said "No, it's just pretty..." Thanks Tom for acknowledging that this is an equally valid and spiritual response to beauty in any form.

5. Bonnie said the following at 1:45 PM on Jul 7:

I agree completely. I think John Piper had some choice words on this idea, that God wants us to be happy, really happy. Happiness is not ungodly and asceticism/service/what-have-you are not necessarily godly.

6. Matt from DC said the following at 1:53 PM on Jul 7:

Excellent post - good point and well said. I learned this truth shortly after being saved and it has ever changed how I view what I do. This is related to finding joy in all you do. Joy that is independent of your circumstances or your activity that is confident in the present and future wealth of the completed work of Christ. When it is understood that sin makes us less human than we (Adam and Eve) used to be and that our present salvation is a foretaste of what is to come in the resurrection then that is something to be joyful about. Also, it begs the question, what does it look like to be human? Which bring us back to the very heart of Christianity - being Christ "ones".

What am I made to do? Swim and build. Give me legos, wood and nails, or a text editor and compiler as long as we can go off the diving board first and I can grab a pair of goggles from the lost-and-found.

7. Karen said the following at 3:05 PM on Jul 7:

Makes perfect sense from a population standpoint. Only a certain small percentage of the population can be full-time missionaries or ministers. After all, houses must be built, food grown, children taught maths and English, clothes made, bridges and roads built, sick people made well, criminals jailed etc. All of which will be done by people whose full-time employment is something other than explicitly promoting God's word.

8. Mark Goodyear said the following at 4:45 PM on Jul 7:

You bet! When did we start using the word "ministry" to mean only the activities that happen in or through the church building?

I rely often on Romans 12:1-2. Offer your bodies as living sacrifices--this is your reasonable act of worship.

9. Rachael said the following at 8:41 PM on Jul 7:

AMEN.

10. Rachael said the following at 8:42 PM on Jul 7:

Mark (8) wrote: "When did we start using the word 'ministry' to mean only the activities that happen in or through the church building?"

-->GOOD QUESTION. Tack on "serving" with that...

11. brx said the following at 8:47 PM on Jul 7:

I've always liked the balance and perspective that many lay-ministers seem to have. Further, I think many Christian artists end up turning out mediocre work because that same false understanding of serving God causes them to unnaturally force didacticism into their work. I wish they could let go of forcing their evangelism agenda and just make the great art/film/stories that God empowered them to do. It would be so much more effective!

Thanks for the encouragement, Tom!

Grace, peace & adventure!

12. Adam said the following at 9:55 PM on Jul 7:

Thank you! It would be amazing to see the transformation if just one local church really took this to heart.

13. Katie B said the following at 10:15 PM on Jul 7:

I am glad you posted this, I took a spiritual formation class a couple years ago, and at one point we were talking about the ways that we could serve God (this was a class specifically for the youth min and pastoral students) and the teacher asked all the people who were artists, writers, contemplatives, to stand up then he apologized on behalf of the Church as a whole for dismissing their gifts. Then he had the more accepted right brained types pray that God would release their ministries and heal their hearts. It was really powerful, those of us who stood up had some pretty awful stories of rejection and hurt in churches. The fruits of those prayers were incredible. now the school even has a painter who is one of the chapel worship leaders, and had liturgical and contemplative services, among other things. the ripple effects are allowing people to praise, serve and love God in ways they had been originally told to repress.

14. Drew said the following at 10:39 PM on Jul 7:

great article keep it up. I have been thinking the same thing. We need more dedicated Christians that are successful in their occupation and know that is what God has for them.

15. Kelly said the following at 3:31 AM on Jul 8:

Oh, what a WONDERFUL post. Thank you! I frequently suffer guilt over my 'career' - I'm from a family that's full of youth workers and Christian school teachers. I'm the only one whose daily job doesn't obviously involve God at all and I often think that I should just throw it all in and go serve in Africa.

It's very hard to live up to my siblings who have God as their work focus.

So I do need to hear this more often, that what I'm doing, living as a Christian in a secular workplace, isn't necessarily wrong.

16. Tami said the following at 9:37 AM on Jul 8:

I too like this post a lot. Just wanted to add the sentiment that there are plenty of opportunities to live out your faith on a daily basis in *any* vocation. Take, for example, the person's desire to be a chef -- I think God is glorified when we do those things He's blessed us to do well. If God has given you the desire to learn how to cut a perfect chiffonade, whip up a mean coq au vin, and helm a kitchen staff... by all means, learn how, and learn well! And man, if you can live out your faith and embody Christ in *that* environment, what a blessing!

Katie B (13), that's cool. :) Thanks for sharing your story.

17. composer girl said the following at 9:55 AM on Jul 8:

This has been said repeatedly already, but thank you! and AMEN! I remember being so confused when I was in high school because I loved the Lord and I wanted to serve him but music was my passion. I didn't want to be a Contemporary Christian artist or a church choir director or anything like that; I wanted to compose music, and my primary interest was orchestral and film music. It took me a long time to realize that even if what I write isn't inherently Christian (e.g. instrumental music, no lyrics, no obvious message) it can still glorify God, just because I'm using this gift and this passion for creation that He has given me.

I will give a caution, though. It is wonderful to pursue the passion that God has given you. But in pursuing that passion, one must be careful to not forget the Lord. When God gives you a love for something that is as strong as my love for music, or that young woman's love for cooking, it is sometimes easy to lose sight of the Lord and see only one's earthly pursuits. Pursuing the Lord on a personal level should be our highest priority. Out of our love for the Lord will flow our love for others and our love for the wonderful calling he has given us. But if we forget the Lord and pursue only our ambition, then it becomes bitter, and we become discontent. The only way to hold onto the joy that you find in doing what you love is to love the Lord first, and keep your relationship with Him as your highest priority.

18. Naomi said the following at 10:34 AM on Jul 8:

Pursuing baking for the love of baking is doing what God has specifically called you to do. I don't think we should over think it cos it says: (basically, it says that whatever gift God gives you, just use them. Like that Nike tagline, 'Just Do It!')

"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness." -- Romans 12:6-8

19. Mike Theemling said the following at 11:50 AM on Jul 8:

From what I recall of Church history, it wasn't until around the time of the Reformation that the concept of a "calling" was extended to secular professions and not just confined to monks, priests, and the like. That one could be a butcher, baker, or candlestick maker and still be very much involved in God's will.

Paul writes that each of us have gifts. Sometimes, it's within the context of actual church roles, but in other instances it can be extended outside of the church context.

Another danger in putting too much emphasis on certain positions is that we can relinquish ourselves of the responsibility to do things such as teach, share the gospel, etc. Likewise, one does not need to attend a seminar first on "How to be a good witness" in order to be one (although such classes certainly have their uses).

Still trying to figure out what God put me on this Earth to do. In the meantime, I just try to serve the Kingdom whilst I live my life and follow principles like these.

20. nikki said the following at 12:15 PM on Jul 8:

I read the article quoted above and was a little repelled by the answer. The utilitarian viewpoint expressed in the interview was surprising and baffling.

I think that people should do what they believe they are called to do, which is often what they love to do and are skilled at. Usually those things go together hand-in-hand. A career is not God-honoring only if you can somehow DO as much as possible with it. If you love doing it, do your absolute best - become skilled - and it is worship already. Sure, there might be many ways you can use your passion to advance the gospel or win many souls. But it is, first and foremost, before it is utilized in any specified manner, an act of worship to God.

I love photography, and when I am out with my camera and nature, I am worshipping God. I am worshipping when I create a wonderful new dish of food for my family, when I compose a well-thought out essay, and when I play music on my guitar. I am offering my creativity and skill to God, even if my photos aren't full of crosses, even if my essay isn't a defense of the virgin birth, even if I don't spell "JESUS" with my dinner breadsticks and EVEN...gasp...if the music coming from my guitar does not have "Christian lyrics."

I think most people miss this point that worship is simply an offering of the way you live your everyday life, including your career.

21. yipeng said the following at 11:49 PM on Jul 8:

Amen! Our simple love of God is far greater and encompassing than our love of God in evangelism... and the two are neither mutually exclusive nor the same.

Everyday we love Him in so many different ways! :]

22. Leah said the following at 1:36 AM on Jul 9:

Thanks.

This is just what I need to be reminded of right now.

23. Kirsten C. said the following at 5:21 AM on Jul 23:

Thank you so much for this article...it has joined with other lessons the Lord has been teaching me lately, and was a great encouragement.

Recently my ballet instructor was sharing with us the parable of the talents, when the master gave his servants different measures of talents and then went away. The one with the most talents used it well; the one with the smallest amount buried it. Her point was that not all of us have the same measure of talent in what we love to do, but that we are to use it anyway for the Lord's glory and our own and others' enjoyment. It can be prideful and wrong to say we're not as good at dancing/photography/music as someone else is, and then not use the gifts and passions God has given us.

Anyway - thank you for the encouraging thoughts to take into the coming weeks!