When we would find out our newest baby was a boy, I couldn’t help hoping God would call him into full-time Christian ministry. What a joy and honor it would be to have sons shining forth the light of Jesus into a dark world! I still hope that some of my boys will do just that, if this is the direction in which God leads them.
But, is being a missionary or a pastor the only way you can serve God and earn huge piles of treasure forever in heaven? No way! God needs all kinds of people in His service: computer programmers, movie makers, entrepreneurs (someone has to have the money to support the rest of us!), artists, all kinds of service people… and scientists.
Last night I had a chance to sit down with the December issue of the Institute for Creation Research’s Acts & Facts magazine (sign up free HERE). Right near the beginning was a passionate call for young people with God-given abilities to choose the sciences for their life’s work. I’ll lift the bits that touched me, but please read the whole thing: Wanted: Young Creation Scientists by Jake Hebert, Ph.D.
Is it worth it to major in an easy field if you ultimately get a job that you dislike? Little wonder that so many adults are eager to retire from the workforce—they hate their jobs!
How much better to choose a career path that will bring ultimate fulfillment, a decision inspired by a God-given desire to work in a field that will bring glory to the Creator. Young Christian, if God has given you a desire to serve Him in a particular area, then consider His promptings. Maybe He is leading you to serve Him in the field of science. It may involve short-term sacrifice, but God’s best often requires hard work.
….Given the increasing anti-Christian sentiment in society and the academic persecution in the secular universities, there may very well come a day when it will no longer be possible for a Bible-believing Christian to get an advanced degree in the natural sciences. Academically gifted young Christians should therefore “redeem the time” (Ephesians 5:16) before that door of opportunity closes.
Taking the easy path has never been the call of Jesus. He warned those who wanted to follow Him to count the cost before dedicating themselves. His call always includes a cross to carry. What if that cross for you is giving up a career that makes a lot of money, where everyone around thinks you’re the best thing since sliced bread?
I’ve pointed out that if a Creationist doesn’t dig up certain types of fossils, we will probably never hear about them. If a Creationist doesn’t do certain types of research, it will be buried or probably never done at all. Right now, without God-fearing scientists, there would be very little training for any of us to be aware of the truth of His creative hand.
Maybe God made you “nerdy” for His kingdom. I know He did it to me, and it is amazing!
Chinese depiction of Jesus and the rich man (Mark 10) – 1879, Beijing, China (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
“If you come to me but will not leave your family, you cannot be my follower. You must love me more than your father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters—even more than your own life!Whoever will not carry the cross that is given to them when they follow me cannot be my follower.
“If you wanted to build a building, you would first sit down and decide how much it would cost. You must see if you have enough money to finish the job. If you don’t do that, you might begin the work, but you would not be able to finish. And if you could not finish it, everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘This man began to build, but he was not able to finish.’
“It is the same for each of you. You must leave everything you have to follow me. If not, you cannot be my follower. Luke 14:26-31,33 Easy-to-read Version
PS Jesus has all the power in the universe. Don’t give in!
3 Comments
ourfathersdaughters · at
If I am called by God – than whatever I am doing is “full time ministry”. I stayed home with our four children for 14 years – that was “full time ministry”. I taught part time at a Christian school (without pay) that was “full time ministry”. Now I teach high school art at a public school – I am in “full time ministry”. I am paid by state tax revenue – but I go to work each day knowing that I am called by God to be salt and light in the world of public high school. My father taught high school biology in Wheaton, Illinois for 33 years, then went to Taiwan and taught at a mission school for 7 more years. I asked him once if he felt one job was more “ministry” than the other. He told me no, God led him to each job and he was obedient – he was faithful to follow God’s leading. He did say that the public school setting was more of a “mission field” than the mission school since most of his students in Taiwan were Christians. The issue is obedience to God’s call – no matter what it is or where it is.
Cheri-CreationScience4Kids · at
Amen!
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