A Calling That Surpasses Your Vocation
When you think about the Old Testament character of Samson, what comes to mind about the calling that surpasses vocation? Long flowing hair? Rippling muscles? Larger than life and able to physically do things no person should be able to physically do? calling within vocation
In many ways, what we picture with Samson is the equivalent of a professional wrestler. But what about his character? Well, when it comes to character, he’s much less impressive. And though his flaws were many, perhaps you could sum it all up like this: gospel-centered greatness
Samson never really took his calling seriously. And he was indeed called. This is what the angel said about his birth in Judges 13: “Although you are unable to conceive and have no children, you will conceive and give birth to a son. Now please be careful not to drink wine or beer, or to eat anything unclean; for indeed, you will conceive and give birth to a son. You must never cut his hair, because the boy will be a Nazarite to God from birth, and he will begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines.” His story prompts important questions about how we see our own work as holy calling and how culture shapes our understanding of work as vocation in culture.
Samson was called to be a Nazarite. Separated for God. And there were visible tangible signs of that separation. Not only so, but he was called for a purpose – not to be the Old Testament version of a professional wrestler, but to begin to save Israel from the Philistines. And yet time and time again, we see that Samson never took this calling seriously.
Like Samson, we too have received a calling. Though there are many places in Scripture that talk about this call, here is a particularly vivid passage from 1 Peter 2:
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. … Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.”
This is a serious call. It is an all-encompassing call. It is a call that surpasses your vocation, your station, or your position in the community. If you are a Christian, then you have a call on your life. But also like Samson, we might be taking it seriously enough. But how do you know?
Let’s return to Samson and find three warning signs in Judges 16, the story of Samson and Delilah.
1. Warning sign number one is your primary influences.
We don’t know much about Delilah, but we do know that it didn’t take much convincing for her to agree to betray Samson (Judges 16:4–6). Though it took several attempts, she eventually wore down Samson’s resistance and discovered the secret to his strength. This was who Samson had chosen to let into his heart and life.
Friends, it takes a great deal of hubris to think that we can surround ourselves with ungodliness and not be influenced by it. If we, like Samson, look around and see that the primary influences in our lives are not intentionally spurring us on toward Jesus and good works then it is a warning sign that we are not taking our calling seriously.
