Discerning Vocation through Stages of Life
This post is adapted from an unpublished personal reflections paper written by Dr. Todd Johnson
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” - Ephesians 1:18-19a
What is your calling? To know God and to make Him known.
First to Identity: It is the call to be restored to a right relationship with God—to know God—and to remain in Him. To abide is to obey, including obedience to the Great Commandment. We love God and love our neighbor. This is the general call.
Second to Purpose: it is the call to bear fruit, to be productive in obedience to the Great Commission with the spiritual gifts and natural abilities God has given you. This is your specific call.
“There is much evidence on several levels that there are at least two major tasks to human life. The first task is to build a strong “container” or identity; the second is to find the contents that the container was meant to hold. The first task we take for granted as the very purpose of life, which does not mean we do it well. The second task, I am told, is more encountered than sought; few arrive at it with much preplanning, purpose, or passion.” -Richard Rohr, Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life
Career and Vocation
God calls us to work, which is our life’s worship. Finding the work you love involves both Identity and Purpose. But the work of your calling is not just a career. It will continue after your career.
“People entering the second half of life usually have difficulty understanding the difference between career and vocation. Many confuse or conflate the two. When careers end it is typical for seniors to not feel needed or to know what to do with their time. But careers end, and vocations go on.” - Todd Johnson, Professor of Mission and Global Christianity at Gordon Conwell Seminary.
Six Questions for Discerning Your Vocation in Every Season of Life.
1. Who is the Lord, and what on earth is He doing? Where do you find yourself in God’s plan?
He is the Good Shepherd (Only 3 in 10 Americans attend religious services); He Sends (Only 430,000 Missionaries worldwide, down from 1,135,000 in 2001); He is the Word (Currently, 20% of the world has no Bible); He is Lord of the Nations (7,290 “unreached of the 17,311 people groups); He is the Living Water (1 in 10 people -703 million- lack access to clean water); He is the Bread of Life (712 million people lived on less than $2.15 per day).
He is the Light (Xian-yi Wu from Singapore is one of our former interns who found his place in God’s plan and started a company called D.Light Design. They empower 175 million lives through 596 GWh generated from renewable energy, avoiding 38 million tons of CO₂ of air pollution. They’ve saved $5 billion in energy-related expenses for the poor; 72 million school-aged children and families are provided 27 billion productive hours).
2. Who are you?
1 Corinthians 1:30: “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.”
Write down three or four keywords that describe your story. “You cannot know your calling if you do not know your story.” - John Henry
3. What is your stage of life?
Deut 8:2-3: “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, … to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
“There is a qualitative difference between our purpose for the first and second halves of life. However, many Christians perpetuate a first-half mentality while entering the second half. We need to pivot when we reach the second half.” -Todd Johnson
“Most of us need a call to focus with greater intentionality. We do not need to be urged to do more. Many of us are trying to do too much! Rather, we need greater clarity about what we are truly called to and freedom to accept those things that do not need to concern us, at least in the use of our time and energy. We need to give our attention, in an age of distraction, to the zone of life and work that merits our vocational energy.” -Gordon Smith, Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential
“As we age, it’s important to get clear about the difference between the jobs by which we make a living and the callings, or vocations, by which make meaning. Many elders leave or lose their jobs. But it’s possible to follow a calling to the end of life and continue to make meaning at a time when it’s much needed.” - Parker Palmer
4. What are your circumstances?
Psalm 32:7: “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”
“From the Scriptures, it would seem that seniors have two primary responsibilities—two fundamental ways they make a difference: sharing wisdom and giving blessing.” -Gordon Smith
5. What is the cross you will have to bear?
1 Peter 5:10: “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
“The most obvious external feature of transition [to latter years] is that we let go of the roles, titles, offices, and occupations that previously gave expression to our vocation. We let go of the formal structures of power and influence. We retire from these responsibilities.” -Gordon Smith
6. What are you afraid of?
Psalm 27:1a: “The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?”
As we age, we need more discernment about how to fulfill our vocation in a changing context.
“Late adulthood is not a blank slate—the individual has become someone, done something, and made commitments and choices. Who one is and what he can do are interpreted in light of his circumstance—he has followed, or not, certain callings. Second, the future is open but not limitless; choices must be made within the choices that have thus far shaped a person’s life. Third, callings arise in situations not of our choosing but to which we must respond. When a person discerns and responds to callings in late adulthood, she does so within a life history as well as in the current circumstances and possible futures that are available to her.” -Kathleen Cahalan, professor of practical theology at St. John’s University
Calling in the Second Half
When the time comes to retire from a career, there is a great sense of loss, and many have difficulty letting go.
“I am convinced that part of the essence of vocational identity during this period of our lives is that we let go of power and control: people listen to us because we are wise and because we bless, not because of our office or any formal structure of power. This is why it is essential that we learn how to let go of power and resist the temptation to hang on to power as long as we can—however easy it is to justify the notion that we are needed.” - Gordon Smith