The key to a well-balanced life is the Christian doctrine of vocation. Believers have been called by God out of the world and into his service—vocation is simply the Latin word for calling. To "those who are called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28) God provides a place and time and the required gifts to fulfill his purposes in the world. Or as Paul puts it: "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10). The unique opportunities to do God's will form our vocations, our callings.
In this series we want to try to understand and apply vocation in three movements. First, we will ponder the doctrine of vocation. What is vocation, what does Scripture teach about work, and what is the relationship of the special calling of grace and our ordinary callings in the world? Second, we will study how to prepare for vocational living. We want to think through what people of God at most any stage of life can do to become better qualified to glorify and enjoy God in the station that he may lead them into. Third, we will explore what it looks like to practice vocation. What biblical practices can help us succeed at work and how does our work life relate to the rest of who we are.
