Profession or Vocation?

 Professional or Vocation

December 1, 2024

First, some definitions from the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary:

OCCUPA'TION, n. [L. occupatio.]

1. The act of taking possession.
2. Possession; a holding or keeping; tenure; use; as lands in the occupation of AB.
3. That which engages the time and attention; employment; business. He devotes to study all the time that his other occupations will permit.
4. The principal business of one's life; vocation; calling; trade; the business which a man follows to procure a living or obtain wealth. Agriculture, manufactures and commerce furnish the most general occupations of life. Painting, statuary, music, are agreeable occupations. Men not engaged in some useful occupation commonly fall into vicious courses.

PROFES'SION, n. [L. professio.]

1. Open declaration; public avowal or acknowledgment of one's sentiments or belief; as professions of friendship or sincerity; a profession of faith or religion.
2. The business which one professes to understand and to follow for subsistence; calling; vocation; employment; as the learned professions. We speak of the profession of a clergyman, of a lawyer, and of a physician or surgeon; the profession of lecturer on chemistry or mineralogy. But the word is not applied to an occupation merely mechanical.
3. The collective body of persons engaged in a calling. We speak of practices honorable or disgraceful to a profession.
4. Among the Romanists, the entering into a religious order, by which a person offers himself to God by a vow of inviolable obedience, chastity and poverty.

VOCA'TION, n. [L. vocatio, from voco, to call. See Voice.]

1. Among divines, a calling by the will of God; or the bestowment of God's distinguishing grace upon a person or nation, by which that person or nation is put in the way of salvation; as the vocation of the Jews under the old dispensation, and of the Gentiles under the gospel.
2. Summons; call; inducement.
3. Designation or destination to a particular state or profession.
4. Employment; calling; occupation; trade; a word that includes professions as well as mechanical occupations. Let every divine, every physician, every lawyer, and every mechanic, be faithful and diligent in his vocation.

Biblically, we see some examples of occupation. For example, Paul’s trade was a tent-maker.

Acts 18:3

3 and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them (Aquila and Priscilla) and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers.

And in Revelation, there were no musicians or craftsmen found in Babylon after it’s destruction:

Revelation 18:22

22 And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craftwill be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer;

We see more examples of vocation, or calling, in the gospels and epistles:

Matthew 22:14

14For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Romans 1:1

1 Paul, a bond-servantof Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

In this verse we see that Paul had both an occupation (tent-maker) but also a vocation (apostle).

We don’t really see any examples of “profession” in the Bible, except in the sense of making a profession, or confession, of faith. Though we do see people who were professionals, such as the Scribes and Pharisees and Luke the physician.

Titus 1:16

16 They profess^g3670 to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

The Greek word used here, g3670 homologeō, is also translated “confess”.

Luke 12:8

8 “And I say to you, everyone who confesses^g3670 Me before men, the Son of Man will confess^g3670 him also before the angels of God;

Colossians 4:14

14 Luke,the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas.

So what is our conclusion as to how we spend most of our time? How do we earn our living? How do we fulfill our destiny? What is your calling in life and is that the same as your occupation or profession? 

For too many, they only have an occupation. They occupy their time and earn a living, but do not necessarily delight in what they do. It is of course required that we earn a living to support our family, but it in an especial blessing if your occupation is also something that you delight in doing. It is also a blessing to those you serve if you are a craftsman with particular talents that enable you to create beautiful and useful objects. It is a treasured find when you locate an excellent plumber!

Others are blessed that their profession and vocation are the same. This would include successful clergymen and physicians who were called to their profession and were also given particular gifts and talents to be successful. This is also a great blessing to those that they serve as they are able to help a great number of people as they apply their talents with a joy that comes from knowing that they are doing what they were called to do.

Then there are those few among us who’s vocation and profession are different and distinct. I myself was called to be a minister and musician, but was also given gifts and training to have a professional in as a scientist and computer engineer. The church doesn’t always understand those of us in that category, especially when your profession is in the sciences, which many church people assume is contradictory to the gospel…. even though it actually isn’t. We do have the example of Paul though. He was multi-talented. He received the best professional training of his day as a Pharisee, but also had a trade as a tent-make, and had a special vocation, being called to be an apostle to the gentiles. He was especially blessed! One advantage of having separate vocations and professions is that you can earn a living in your profession, while not requiring the recipients of your vocation to contribute you your living expenses. You see in Acts where Paul raised an offering for the poor in Jerusalem, but you don’t see where he required any offerings for himself. Now he might have received some support from his ministry, but it doesn’t really say.  He does tell Timothy that a worker is worthy of his wages.

1 Timothy 5:18

18 For theScripture says, “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

So there is nothing wrong with receiving support for your vocation as a minister, but there is a certain liberty in being able to minister to people without requiring it them to support you financially.

Anyway, the conclusion of the matter is this, do you have a clear idea of your vocation, profession and occupation in life? We have to have a clear vision to be successful, so if you are unclear on this, I urge you to pray for clarity. There are those who can help you find your purpose if you need help with that, so don’t be ashamed to ask for help if you struggle to find your purpose. What you don’t want to do is to go through life struggling with an occupation that only occupies your time, but is not something that you delight in. It’s hard to be successful if you don’t enjoy what you are doing. So let me encourage you to seek the Lord, because he loves you and has a special call for your life. Finding it will bring real purpose to your life.