Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Thoughts On The Movie "Amazing Grace"

The following is a summary of a recent writing assignment on change management.

The first time I saw this movie a few of years ago one line resonated for me. In one of the opening scenes William Wilberforce is hosting a group of abolitionists in his home. His close friend, William Pitt, had invited them there because he knew Wilberforce was at a critical point in his life when he was faced with a career choice, if you will. He felt a calling from the Lord to be a minister, yet at the same time, his passion was in politics. Wilberforce says to his guests that he's caught between doing the work of God and doing the work of government. One of the abolitionists at the dinner table responded, "We respectfully submit that you can do both." Well the rest is history!

The implications of their response to him began a change in mindset for me. At the time I was a double major in vocational Missions and engineering physics. I had no idea how those could possibly work together and felt eventually it would be one or the other. Again, the rest is history but my point being this epiphany changed the way i viewed my life and provided much needed clarity in my developing personal theology.

God gives each one of us talents, passions and desires and we are called to use them to the best of our ability in whatever career/occupation (not to be confused with calling) we chose.

Our calling in life is to advance the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven. In a practical sense, one way we do this is simply in all things working unto the Lord and not unto men.