It was 1994. I was checking into a hotel in La Mesa, California, alone, separated from my wife. Our marriage was ripped apart, littered with pain, abuse and selfishness. While in one sense I had it all - business success and money – in the most important ways I had nothing, and my struggle centered around one huge question; “What is my calling in life?”

I was raised going to church, but I never really understood “the God Thing.” I tried to do all the right things and look all the right ways, but I had a void in my life. I did not understand God’s loving call to me to receive his forgiveness or his calling and direction for my work life. I had grown up hearing people say things like, “I have been called to preach,” or “I have been called to be a missionary.” I never heard anyone say “I was called to this job or this work” So I wondered where that left me, and the rest of us, in the workplace.

Vocationally, I have a military background in nuclear engineering. I helped operate fast attack submarines for almost a decade. Then I started a company in San Diego, and enjoyed great success. But, I had this nagging issue. I wanted to be significant, and I wanted to feel called by God to my work. God then began to move in my life in some dramatic ways, and I sensed He was calling me – but to what?

Author Henry Blackaby wrote, “There is nothing worse than a great calling with a weak character.” Calling and character have to work as a team, and that scared me because I knew I had huge character deficits! I realized God was not just looking at what I could DO for him but at my character. Despite my huge character flaws, God kept pursuing me, asking me to surrender to Him.

This just intensified the turmoil in my life, however, I finally surrendered my life to whatever God wanted to do and whatever he wanted me to do with my life. Great sacrifice was right before me.

Remember that hotel I mentioned in 94? When I checked in that night – life seemed over for me, God met me there. As I walked into that room, I flipped on the light and on the nightstand was the Bible, already opened, literally calling for me to read it! I didn’t even touch the Bible, but, with my heart beating wildly, I walked over and looked down. As I read, God breathed life and purpose into me, and I became His.

The Bible was opened to Isaiah 43:1-2, and God said directly to me, Doug…

That night changed my life. I was called by God to be His! But I still had this other “calling” question; what was I to do with my life and work? My logical assumption was to be as spiritually significant as possible. For me, that meant I had to quit my job and be on church staff. So, I tried hard to join the church staff to “fulfill the ultimate calling,” but God kept blocking me. I did not understand why I couldn’t serve in this way, and this sent me into a private depression and confusion about the issues of faith, work and calling. I wondered, does my work have anything to do with my calling from God or is calling just for a chosen few?

Through much more brokenness, God began to guide me to truths that have freed me…

• I realized that my spiritual gifting has everything to do with my vocational work and not just work in the church.
• I realized that my work was a holy calling no matter what it was – if I worked for God.
• I realized that work was not cursed. God is a worker, and he invites me to join him in his creative work in this world.
• I realized there is no biblical separation of work as either “sacred” or “secular.”

Finally, I understood that I was free to serve God through my work – my vocation. I was called!

You may ask, “Why put an emphasis on the workplace?” Remember the three majorities; a majority of us spend a majority of our time interacting with a majority of the unchurched world…at work. For most of us, our work life is our greatest opportunity to share the love of Jesus Christ.

And remember this at work…you and I may be the only “Jesus” they ever see!