The scenario was familiar. A person who just graduated from college wanted to talk. They were wondering what to do next. And wanting to know what God wants.

Not wanting to choose wrong, not wanting to miss some sign, concerned that there hasn’t been a vision on the Damascus Road, or a calling in the middle of the night.

I don’t blame the person for the teaching and expectations that have been set. Listening to chapel speakers for four years telling stories about visions and callings creates expectations, though they should come with warning stickers. “This is my story, not yours. It’s descriptive, not prescriptive. After all, only Paul was on the road to Damascus, and was called to his work. And stories often only have clarity when they are told, not when they are lived.”

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“But what should I do next?” The question was still there. And may be for all of us. So here are some thoughts.

Love one another. That’s the starting point. Because it’s the starting point Jesus pointed to.

Keep talking to people in the fields you are curious about. Ask particularly about what a day is like, what preparation is like, what are the hardest parts of the work.

And in the meantime,

Find a job with people and do it. Whatever it is, do it well (or “heartily, as unto the Lord.”)

Because it’s possible that God couldn’t care less about jobs. We know he couldn’t care more about people. And it’s possible that jobs are just a way (and only one way) to get people together. And jobs in “ministry” can be every job. 

These are suggestions. I’m not a counselor, I give counsel.

But starting with love? That makes sense.