Calling & Constraints | Reflections by Fellow Thomas Hamilton '21

I grew up with a great reverence for NASA. My father was a kid when American heroes like Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were plastered across every newspaper, with the Apollo program hitting its stride. I couldn’t help but adopt the same enthusiasm for everything space travel. Ostensibly, I was pretty good at math in high school, and I did alright in the one physics class I took. So, I was keen on being an astrophysicist before coming into college. I quickly learned that my skills were not as developed as some of the geniuses that go here, but I figured nothing comes easy. I was willing to struggle, to grind myself down to the bone to give this dream a fighting chance.

The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, certainly speaks. Maybe His voice isn’t explicit or well defined, but God has the wonderful ability to place special convictions within us. When it came to rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah didn’t have some booming command from God. He said that He simply “put it into his heart” (Neh. 2:12). Paul redirected his ministry based on a personal “ambition”, preaching where Christ has not already been named (Rom. 15:20). I’ll go ahead and say these are examples of a “calling”, a growing desire and ability to serve the Lord through satisfying the hunger of the world. The hope is that whatever our perceived purpose or calling is: 1) we’re good at it, 2) we love it , 3) we can be paid for it and 4) the world needs it. What’s maybe left out of the whole “calling” conversation is the reality that we will face constraints. Not all of these areas are going to intersect and that is the inevitability of our fallen nature.

I decided to stop pursuing my dream of being the cool space guy a while ago. I simply was not that good at physics, and grad school was entirely too expensive. Was I disobedient to God’s call? Nah. I’ve found I can do other things too. I lead a bible study once a week. I like being a vessel for the Lord to lead others to faith. I enjoy listening and giving a space for others to share. Heck, I’m pursuing a career in vocational ministry. It’s a complete 180 for sure, and I’m not saying our callings have to be that radical. But, it’s something I truly love, and it’s a job where I believe I can honor God best. There are still some constraints that come with that. The pay isn’t exactly that great (sorry Dad), and as a white guy, I’m going to have to spend some extra energy breaking down my own privilege to be able to empathize with ALL of the members of my community. It’s a privilege and a blessing to even have the ability to consider a calling. Those in poverty are just trying to make ends meet, taking up whatever job is available. Soon-to-be mothers are pressured with the task of finding a work-life balance, juggling new constraints on time and energy while raising a needy child. I champion that purpose can be found in whatever job we undertake. As Christians, our work is a form of worship to our Lord; it is how we work that gives shape to our respective part within the body of Christ (Col. 3:23 & 1 Cor. 12:12). The Great Commission, the duty we’ve been assigned to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19), is more than enough purpose. It is within our worldly jobs that we have been given the holy authority to be the salt and light of the earth! How wonderful is that.