Are secular jobs less valuable to the Lord?

I was asked the other day, “Is it ok to finish my PhD and be an engineer?” It was an honest question coming from a person who wanted to honour God with their life. Plenty of times I have thought my secular job was not holy or sacred enough. That was my misunderstanding. 

When Israel was in Babylon (a very pagan place), God told the people to buy, sell, trade, have children and raise them, build houses, make gardens, and seek the well-being of the city (Jeremiah 29:6-7). These are normal life activities and they are good. 

Proverbs 31 describes a godly woman who runs a business, makes cloth, cares for children, owns land, and is wise in many areas of life. Daniel was a wise government official. Joseph was second under Pharaoh. David was a king and a priest. Abraham a shepherd. All of these were godly people who lived for the glory of God in their different occupations. What’s more, Jesus, our Saviour, was a carpenter until He was 30.

Scripture says, whatever you do, do for the glory of God. So, there’s freedom there. On the other hand, if God calls you specifically to something, then, of course, you need to do it. 

Scripture is full of godly people who lived for the glory of God in their different occupations

Walking by faith

Christians are called to be the salt of the earth — and salt must be spread out. God wants us in all areas of life, representing Him. He gives us work and that work is good.

Some people are called to ministry and it is important that they follow that calling — but not everyone has a specific set of instructions from God for an occupation. While some are called to full-time service, others are called to other occupations. 

He also gives people the freedom to work where they are. Wherever that may be, they are all called to be obedient to His word in sharing the gospel, loving others, and doing good works.

So, don’t be confused if you haven’t had a calling from God. You have the freedom to seek Him and that is good and encouraged. If it concerns you, ask Him. If there is no answer, don’t fret! God doesn’t want you to worry. Instead, move forward in faith and make the best decisions you can with what you have, while continuing to seek Him. He is able to guide you, but He doesn’t always reveal where the road is going. 

We walk by faith, not by sight. This can be frustrating but remind yourself of God’s goodness. He is wise and He can be trusted. He is good and He can be trusted. He loves you — and He can be trusted. 

So, move forward with your decisions, bless God, and trust Him to help you. Our trust in Him pleases Him.