Career Choice in Light of the Kingdom of God: An Engineer’s Perspective

About Career Choice in Light of the Kingdom of God: An Engineer’s Perspective

Abstract

The question “What does God want me to do with my life?” is the subject of considerable contemplation and prayer among Christian young people when deciding on a major in college or choosing a job. The Bible says a great deal about what God wants people to do with their lives, but often it is hard to see how Biblical principles apply to career decisions like “should I major in engineering, pre-med, or Bible?” We consider Jesus‟ teaching about the Kingdom of God. Based on the themes which emerge, we suggest a criterion for career selection and evaluate engineering as a career option. Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God must be the central concern of His followers. To many this means that Christians who are able or willing should choose vocational Christian ministry over the so-called secular professions, as the former allows a full-time commitment to advancing the Kingdom by fulfilling the Great Commission. Others see advancing the Kingdom as transforming culture in any of its myriad expressions and so value all careers as service to Christ. More than advancing external causes, we suggest that the call of Jesus is to an internal transformation of values in response to the Kingdom of God. Accordingly, the measure of a career is the opportunity it affords to live out the values of the Kingdom. By this measure, a broad spectrum of careers can be good choices. We look specifically at engineering. Engineering jobs offer differing opportunities to express Kingdom values through creating responsible technologies. They also present situations where Kingdom values require the engineer to transcend the engineering mindset and engineering methods. Particular assignments and employers may enhance or hinder our ability to live out Kingdom values in church and family relationships. Although we have proposed a measure for the value of a career and suggested factors that influence value, in the end the contingencies of life preclude career selection as a global optimization over likely outcomes. We propose that career selection is better viewed as an act of worship—an expression of what we value and a response to God‟s gift of abilities, desires, and circumstances.