Wednesday, April 9, 2025



Leadership Thought: Making This Change May Be More Important Than Your Calling

Dear Friends,

One of my favorite resources and one which I look forward to receiving two times a week is Biblical Leadership. Containing leadership articles by writers from all over the country, I always find something of value as I did this morning when I opened up the article below by Tom Harper who oversees this wonderful leadership resource

Sometime ago I jotted down the following quote and while I don’t remember its source,  its message has always stuck with me: “Humble work becomes holy work when it is done for the Lord.”

In the article below from Biblical Leadership, Tom Harper shares a perspective on our work that I found thought provoking. Tom writes:

 Sometimes we put too much emphasis on "calling."

"I've been called to a new role," you might say, thinking the new job is more in line with God's will than your old one was.

"I still haven't figured out my calling in life," someone adds, meaning they just haven't been satisfied with any job yet.

Brother Lawrence, in his 17th-century book, The Practice of the Presence of God, said that "our sanctification [does] not depend on changing our works, but doing that for God's sake which we commonly do for our own."

He adds that it's "lamentable to see how many people mistook the means for the end, addicting themselves to certain works, which they performed very imperfectly, by reason of their human or selfish regards" (p. 26).

Brother Lawrence had no regard for the opinion of others or whether he was talented at his job, or even whether it was seen as some kind of special calling.

He simply did the job in front of him as well as he could, as an offering of love to God. He washed dishes not because he had special training or because he was "wired" for it.

He served the Lord through his hard work, and he used it to draw nearer to the Lord in conversation.

Does that humble you as much as it does me?

Calling is important, but I'm starting to believe our sanctification doesn't rely on it.”

As I reflect upon Tom’s words, I recalled a verse  I sometimes add below my name on letters I send: Colossians 3:23-24 reminds us that “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord- you serve the Lord Christ.:

I think our good friend Brother Lawrence had this verse inscribed upon his heart, and it might be worth inscribing on our hearts as well.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

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