When Career Becomes Calling
Angela* sat in the back row of a missions conference, uneasy. The speaker’s challenge seemed clear to her: “Give up your career, and join us globally.” She admired the passion of those who had left everything behind to serve God overseas. But deep down, she knew she couldn’t do it. She had trained for years as an engineer. She loved the work, loved solving problems, loved seeing projects come to life. Was following God’s call supposed to mean leaving behind the very thing she believed He had gifted her to do?
That night she prayed honestly: Lord, I want to obey you. Is there a way you might creatively connect a way for me to use my career skills in a way that would match with this continued draw I have to unreached people around the world?
Months later, Angela learned what global tentmaking was. The vision she heard wasn’t “leave your career at the altar.” Instead, it was: “Take your career with you, and let God use it in the nations.” That small shift changed everything for her.
Taking Work and the Gospel Global
Today Angela lives in a bustling city that is twelve time zones away from the city she grew up in. She works for an international firm that values her skills and presence. But more importantly, her job places her shoulder-to-shoulder with local colleagues who would never set foot in a church and potentially never meet someone who follows Jesus. Her career gives her credibility in the community, access into circles where mainstream missionaries often can’t go, and the chance to form redemptive relationships that naturally point toward Jesus.
She didn’t have to choose between her career and God’s mission. In fact, the two were meant to fit together for God’s plans for the nations through her. If you sense God stirring your heart for the nations, you don’t have to leave your vocation behind. You can take it with you. And just like Angela, you may find that your career is not an obstacle to God’s mission but the very thing that opens the door. If you’re interested, contact us at gmm@gponline.org.