There was a young man who grew up on a farm. Like many children in that situation, he spent a lot of time with chores and work on the farm. After high school, he was unsure what he wanted to do in life. One day he was driving the tractor, plowing a field, when he looked up into the sky and saw the clouds shifting. As he watched, those clouds seemed to be forming letters. When the shifting stopped, he clearly saw two letters: P and C. He took this to be calling to Preach Christ. He immediately enrolled in a Bible college. However, he did not do well at all in his classes. He was determined to continue, so he volunteered to lead chapel one day. It was a disaster. He was tongue-tied, mixed up Scripture, and his message ended up being all about people having to be good to earn their own way into heaven rather that telling people that Jesus did it all for us.

The Dean called this young man into his office and wanted to know why he wanted to be a preacher. The young man told the story of what he saw in the clouds, clearly seeing the letters P and C. The dean listened and sat quietly for a moment and considered what he had just heard. They he said, “Young man, did you ever consider that perhaps the Lord was telling you to Plant Corn?

While all the followers of Jesus are called to share Jesus, not all are called to be preachers or pastors. Everyone has a calling in life, and we should live out that calling as followers of Jesus. You need to live as a a Christian farmer, banker, pilot, teacher, realtor, physical therapist, stay at home parent, plumber, janitor, delivery person or whatever your occupation might be. Paul wrote about it this way.

1 Corinthians 12:27–31 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.

People read that last part about “the greater gifts” and assume that those who are first in the list somehow have a higher calling. I don’t believe that is necessarily true. All Christians are called to follow Christ whatever their role in life may be. And in the verses just after this speak of a “more excellent way” of living, which is to first and foremost love as God has loved you.

Maybe the greatest thing you can do as a disciple of Jesus is to live in a way that shows your faith in Him.