It is said that the days of having one occupation are gone. I have read that the average worker today will have not just ten jobs but an average of ten occupations during their working years. I was raised to be loyal to the company that provided my living but apparently that rule has fallen through the crack somewhere. Now the “WIFM” rule seems more important–what’s in it for me? Companies must always be aware of what the competition is offering or they risk losing their best people to the place down the street.

It used to be the goal of the average American to find a decent job that would support a family, work it for thirty years and retire with a nice pension. Now we might ask, what is a pension? Most of the jobs I have had were with businesses small enough that I had a personal relationship with the owner. I often worked in the retail market and learned what it meant to “front the shelves,” in my teenage years.

The Holy Spirit has a way of speaking to us in a language we understand. One day He impressed on me that the remainder of this earthly life is to be spent doing what I was trained to do so long ago–walk the market looking for gaps on the shelves.

At first, I was a bit perplexed but then it became clear; front the shelves with Jesus, to look for gaps in the lives of those who surround me so that Jesus may be pulled to the front. My parents gave me that early training that would come full circle when my true purpose was revealed.

When Father sends you out it’s not a job but a calling. It’s a calling to be loyal to the One who puts the food on your table. It’s a calling to a personal relationship with the Owner of everything! It’s the most intimate relationship possible. If you have given yourself to Christ, you will also be called to the market, or the field, or wherever your training leads. Father is perhaps the last who still offers a great pension and retirement plan. No one can offer a better package than Father but He expects loyalty in return. “I am the Lord’s servant.” (Luke 1:38) Are you?