Finding Your Voice

As I write, I am taking it easy on Labor Day. I really

was planning on biking this morning, but the rain last night (and sleeping late

after my daughter’s birthday party) compelled me to stay inside. So far, it’s

been a good day. As I relax, at the same time I am thinking of how much I appreciate

the opportunity to work, not just to pay the bills but to do something with my

life that makes a difference.

Labor Day came about in the late 1800’s after a labor

union strike where a number or workers were killed at the hands of the

government. President Cleveland sought reconciliation with the union chief, and

congress unanimously approved rush legislation to make Labor Day a national

holiday. It had, however, for years been developing in various states as a reflection of the strength of the American worker.

The day has become a relaxing rite of passage at the end

of summer, a great day to go shopping, a time to put away my new seersucker in

the closet, and an afternoon to fire up the grill. This is what Labor Day is

about, but there is so much more. It is about celebrating work as an expression

of the human spirit.

Today, I am pondering Christianity’s unique understanding

of work. For Christians, life is not about toiling hard to get the rewards you

deserve. It’s not about success, achievement, or getting ahead. We operate instead

from the larger vision of being part of the body of Christ. Our work reflects how

we fit in to what the Spirit is doing in our broken world.

The word vocation comes from a root word meaning a

“calling” or “summons”. For Christians, our occupation is not a choice but a

response to the designs of the Holy Spirit, who imparts gifts on God’s people.

I am reading a book by spiritualist Parker Palmer called “Let Your Life Speak,”

the title reflecting a Quaker phrase. Christian understanding of work is rooted

in the spirituality of the incarnation … our task is to be the hands and feet

of Christ, an expression of God’s love in the world. Life is not just about

working hard but about being the presence of Christ for others. In short, it’s about

finding your voice.  It’s about living a

life beyond desires for your own happiness and security, with a higher purpose

in mind. Each of us find our voice in the world, and every voice needs to be

heard.

The concept of a calling is not just for clergy. Each of

us discovers joy when we let our soul speak its own truth. The Christian

concept of vocation is at odds with popular attitudes about self-actualization

and following one's dreams. Our vocation is a gift of God, not a goal to

achieve.

How are you letting your life be an expression of God’s

desires for you? How are you letting your life speak, unfolding the gifts and

passions God has placed in you?

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who

live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live

by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians

2:20

Originally at Musings of a Musical Preacher Read the original ↗