I remember some years ago having a conversation with a friend who is a lawyer. As we conversed, he made a remark in reference to my work as a pastor. “Yours isn’t a job like mine,” he said. “Yours is a calling.” By this he meant that pastoral work is a calling from God while other professions or jobs are not. And I bet he is not the only who thinks like that. Before the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, this thinking was also very prevalent. The church then only tended to regard pastoral work as a calling from God. However, the Protestant Reformation helped to bring us back to a biblical understanding of calling and work.

The 16th century Protestant Reformation, particularly Martin Luther and John Calvin, emphasised that according to the Bible all lawful vocations are a calling from God. This teaching is also understood as the doctrine of vocation, related to the Latin word for calling. Every Christian has received two calls. The first call is what in theology is called effectual call. This is God’s call through the gospel and the Holy Spirit to come to Christ and believe in him for our salvation. Having saved us, the Lord gives us a second call to glorify him by being the salt and light of the world (Matthew 5:13, 14).

Whether it’s pastoral or not, our vocations should have the major goal of glorifying God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Furthermore, bearing in mind the second greatest commandment to love our neighbour as we love ourselves, our work whether pastoral or...

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