Just Do It

Q: Where [in] the Bible does it talk about putting your profession first?

A: I am not aware of any specific place where the Bible talks about putting your profession first. However, the Bible does talk about putting things ahead of God. "Dear children, keep yourselves from idols (1 John 5:21)." Anything we put before God can be considered an idol. Usually, when we think of idols we think of worshipping false God's or chasing after money. But, you have to be careful not to make an idol out of your profession, or the pursuit of it. I don't know what is behind your asking this question. But, if you are anything like me, and I presume many other Christians, you may be struggling with just what do for a living. I cannot say that I am in a profession that I love doing. I would love to find a profession that makes me leap out of bed in the morning. However, as I have gone along in my career, and matured in my faith, I realize that this world we live in is not designed to give us peace. Furthermore, we must be careful not to look at what we do for a living as being tied to the will of God for our lives or His love for us. We can make a mistake and cause ourselves grief by expecting something from God He didn't come to give us.

Many people think that if they could find the right career then they could serve God better. Or that God needs them to find that career in order for Him to use them. But, if you think about it, there are two problems with this train of thought. First of all, there are people in all walks of life, and at every stage of it, that need to hear about Jesus Christ. Secondly, when did God ever "need" us to do anything? When Jesus gave the disciples the Great Commission, He said, "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19)..." You will notice that He didn't tell them to take certain jobs or pursue specific professions in order to fulfill this command. Like the slogan for Nike, Jesus is saying "just do it." As we go out in life we meet people everywhere we go. It doesn't matter where they are, what they are doing or what we are doing. We don't go out to witness to the world about Jesus, we are a witness to the world about Him. Our specific profession, at the times we are doing this, is not of significance. Jesus said, "If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5)." We bear the fruit that Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit, produces through us. We don't produce the fruit. The Christian life is all about trusting Jesus to live His life in and through us. When and where this fruit is produced is up to the Lord to decide. Our responsibility is to make ourselves available to Him to let this happen.

The mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that He, in the power of the Holy Spirit, lives within each believer. The idea of putting things in order, as is inherent in your question, can be misleading. I dare say that we should not be concerned about putting things "first" in our life as we should learn to understand Who is our life. It may sound good to say that God is first in our life and then numerically order whatever we deem most important to us after Him. This can lead to endlessly trying to prioritize when we serve God and when we devote time to other pursuits. "To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me (Colossians 1:29)." The Apostle Paul can serve as a good example of how we are to rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Paul labored in the energy of the Holy Spirit, not His own energy. As Christians, we simply go about our business no matter where it takes us. If that is searching for a profession we enjoy, or something else, that is fine. As we live, Christ lives in us. He is their with us regardless of our circumstances.

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4)." The fact that you are asking about what the Bible says about putting your profession first, is evidence that you have a heart for God and desire His guidance in all you do. Regardless of what profession you choose, remember that there are people within that profession who need to hear about the Lord. If you find something you enjoy doing, do it with all your heart as though you were doing it for the Lord. In the midst of that, He will present you with more than enough opportunities to share the love He has shown to you with those you encounter. Realize that we share with others that which God has freely given to us. One of the best pieces of advice I have ever been given is to remember that God doesn't need our ability, He only needs our availability. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1)." A sacrifice is something that is totally at the mercy of something greater than itself. That is how we live the Christian life. We present ourselves to God to do as He sees fit with us. This can be accomplished regardless of our profession.