People always ask kids the same question: What do you want to be when you grow up? You’ve probably asked a little kid this question yourself, and their answers are usually jobs like fireman, teacher, astronaut, or doctor. All respectable jobs, but what if we changed the question a little?
Think about the person you respectthe most in the world. This is a person you admire, appreciate, and hold in the highest regard. This is a person that if you grew up to be just like them you would be happy with how your life turned out. What are those qualities that you respect most about them?
I would guess that very little of what you respect comes from their job title. There is so much more to life than how people trade their time for money. We all have a God given calling. No matter what job you have when you finish school and join the workforce, God has put a higher calling on your life.
Paul, who was arrested for preaching the good news of Jesus, wrote a letter from prison to the people of Ephesus.
In Ephesians chapter 4 he writes:
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Verse 11 tells us that Christ gave us all these people to help us along the way. These are the pastors, teachers, and leaders that help us grow closer to God and live out the truth of his teachings. These are also positions we take as we guide and mentor others. We are all called to be the people that speak the truth in love and help everyone grow as we have ourselves grown.
So instead of asking, “What job do you want when you grow up?” we start asking, “What kind of person do you want to be when you grow up?”