Are you ready for an exciting career?
Don't get too excited. I'm not offering an opportunity to leave your current job or profession, but I am pointing out something you may or may not know. As a Christian, you have the most exciting career in the world. The highs and lows of the economy have no impact on this career. Technological advances and social changes introduce innovative ways to practice your career. Your life circumstances or feelings don't change your career goals. Your Christian career is God-assigned. God gave it to you the moment you chose to believe and follow Christ. Nothing changes it. And while you may have one or more career choices and paths, this is the one that will have the most meaning in your life.
The Christian Career Goals
“[18] Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. [19] Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. [20] Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””
Matthew 28:18-20 nicely lays out the goals of the Christian career. The goals of the Christian career are:
Career Goal 1 - Share the gospel message
In Matthew 28:19, Jesus tells the disciples to go out and make more disciples., which begins with sharing the good news about Christ. The first time we see the disciples reaching for this goal is in Acts 2, where Peter shares who Christ is and why he came. The only way people know God’s plan through Jesus is when believers share the story.
Career Goal 2 - Baptize the new disciples
Christ extends his instructions in Matthew 28:19 to baptize the new disciples in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This act has a symbolic and renewing nature to it for the new disciple. As Christ was baptized before beginning his ministry, we baptize new believers as part of beginning their new life in Christ.
Career Goal 3 - Help others learn and grow in the message
In Matthew 28:20, Jesus says to teach the new disciples how to obey what he taught. This is how the new believer learns to live as Christ desires them to live their new life.
Working toward these Christian career goals means we need to represent Christ in our own day-to-day living. We do so not just in words but by actions.
Christian Career Goals Are Achievable
Have you heard of the acronym SMART? Christian career goals are SMART, meaning they are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based.
Believers of Christ know what they need to do. We can measure generally and specifically whether we are meeting the goals. The goals make sense because how else will God’s plan for the world be achieved if we avoid doing our part in it? And the goals have a time associated with them, i..e., we target these goals for the rest of our lives.
The most exciting part of this exciting career is Jesus’ promise to be with us as we live out the Christian career. We can achieve the goals because we are not alone. Jesus’ Holy Spirit's presence is available to help us.
Now that you know about the most important career you can have as a believer in Christ, are you ready for it? What do you need to do to get ready? Resources and tools for sharing your faith and living the Christian life can be found at the SurrenderedPen site.