Matthew 9:35: “Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.”
A very difficult goal to achieve with young people is to persuade them to look farther into their future than short term. A goal of many educators is to help students realize and plan for an inevitable future.
When teaching secondary industrial arts, a part of my effort was to acquaint students with their many vocational choices.
As a youth, my dad taught me and other young people working for him, skills needed in plumbing, electrical, masonry-concrete, and other trade areas.
Many trades now have a shortage of skilled workers. Being a teacher first and a tradesman second, a part of my responsibility was to encourage students to prepare for a vocation but also to be skilled in a second trade.
In today’s world, many occupations are becoming obsolete but new opportunities are taking their place. A part of job awareness and preparation is to be flexible and adaptive.
My dad often said to me “When you go to college.” In the 1960’s, college was seen as being necessary for success. Dad was one of those with that opinion. He never said “If you go to college.” College was not viewed by him as an option but a requirement.
As the years have passed, we are finding a four year degree as somewhat less of a benefit than sixty years ago. I often see college graduates without job options and many are working in occupational areas not gained by their degree or are hopelessly unemployed.
Having a plan has always been essential. Preparing for a second occupation is simply common sense but many are still failing to engage in such an effort.
Related occupational awareness is another skill job seekers must rely on. Tradesmen in most cases should be proficient in math and communication skills. Multi-tasking is a must in today’s world of work.
Welders must know metals, carbon content, alloying agents used in metals plus math and special skills, organizational skills and safety awareness.
My high school typing teacher taught accounting, short-hand and other business skills. In later years she became an office manager in the school central office. Her crossover skills were beyond astonishing plus having the personality of an angel.
Mark 6: 3 “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.”
To realize the inhabitants of Nazareth were “offended” by Him is disgusting and depressing to many of us. We must realize Jesus made the following statement for a reason.
Mark 6: 4 “But Jesus, said unto them, a prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.”
Why do people not recognize their own? Is it because of jealousy? Is it because in most cases, they know the individual too well?
Are we all bi-vocational as was Jesus? He was a carpenter, a healer, a supernatural-God man on earth capable of performing miracles and a Savior. We have our chosen vocations and our God-called vocation. Vocation and calling are at times considered synonymous and one may have influence on the other.
We are our chosen vocation but also God has chosen us to act on a specific task He selected us to tell the world about Him.
Acts 1: 8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
While some religions teach hatred, killing, self-aggrandizement, power and/or prestige, Christianity teaches love and eternity. Even within the Christian community many are preaching the faith is all about the individual and earthly prosperity. This is a total lie; it has always been and will continue to be all about Jesus.
Acts 9: 15 “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.”
If you are a believer-follower of the Lord Jesus, you are also a chosen vessel as was the Apostle Paul. Any soul you win to Christ is just as precious and important as those Paul won.
We are living in a world of skepticism. Refusal to believe anything spiritual and supernatural has become a trend in our world society.
For Christians to consider ourselves bi-vocational is more important in our world today than ever. There are now over eight-billion people on planet earth and a vast majority of those do not accept a faith based belief in God Jesus.
Faith is the only legitimate belief system we have for something we have not personally witnessed or experienced. Probable every American that reads this believes George Washington was the first president. But none of us saw him, did we?
If Christians do not tell the world about Jesus, no one will, and our world will continue into a state of degradation because there is no other way for people to know God’s laws; specifically to know right from wrong.
We must always teach that eternal salvation is attained by a faith based belief (Ephesians 2: 8) in Christ Jesus crucified (Matthew 27: 35) for the remission of sin (1 John 1: 9), resurrected (Matthew 28: 6) and ascended alive in to Heaven (Acts 1: 9).
Realize and understand, we are “chosen vessels” and the imperative of the Gospel is before us. Yes, Jesus was bi-vocational and so are we!
Van Yandell is a retired Industrial Arts teacher, an ordained gospel evangelist and commissioned missionary. His email isvmy3451@gmail.com.
