I’ve used this object lesson with both children and adults. I’ll pick five individuals and say “Let’s pretend you are all firefighters.” Then I will go to them one by one and say something along these lines.

  • Here’s a spatula. Between fires, you need to cook meals for everyone else
  • Here’s a bag of dog food. Between fires you need to feed our station mascot.
  • Here’s a wrench. When we are at the firehose, you need to make sure the vehicles are in good working order
  • Here’s a bucket and rag. Keep all the vehicles shiny and clean.
  • Here’s a mop. Between fires, keep the station clean.

Then I would go back down the line and ask each person “What’s your job?” They dutifully respond “Cook” or “clean” or whatever task I had just assigned them. I would then tell them that they were all wrong. Their job is to fight fires. Those other tasks were simply things they should do between fires.

I think that gives us a good reminder of who we are to be as followers of Jesus. Our job is to follow Him and make more disciples. We all have other “tasks” that we need to do as we follow Jesus, which we usually refer to as our “jobs.” Luther spoke in terms of our vocation. You have a “job” here on earth, but our real job, our calling, is to follow Jesus and make disciples.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:18–20)

It is a matter of keeping our priorities straight. Your vocation allows you earn a living and provide for your family and hopefully to help those around you. But what you do in your calling as a follower of Jesus and fisher of men will impact people for eternity. You can share the wonderful message of God’s love in Christ that paid for the sins of the world and allows all who believe to receive the forgiveness and life and salvation that you already have in your possession.