Hi there. I am Dr. Gilbert Soo Hoo, welcoming you back for the fourth episode of our series of talks on the topic, “My Work, Career, and Vocation.” Last time I expressed our vocational calling in terms of the two greatest commandments that Jesus proclaimed in the Bible. They are: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.”

These represent God’s expectations on us where we nurture two kinds of relationships. One, the vertical relationship with God characterized by loving devotion to him. And second, the horizontal relationship with others characterized by loving care for their needs in practical ways according to our ability. Hence, should we fulfill these two commandments we would have honored the vocational calling that God has given. We honor God by excelling in these two types of relationships. Love characterizes us.

As grand and sweeping as this picture may appear, we have practical concerns. First, can this dual mandate really encompass all of life? It seems too simplistic. Life is much more complex and even messy. Second, the bar is set too high; we cannot possibly do it. We have our good days and not so good days. We can’t possibly be consistent. Third, what if we help someone but they do not appreciate it or reciprocate? What if there are repercussions that may hurt us? Or what if we can’t help the person? Fourth, what does all this have to do with the marketplace? Are we expected to bring God into the office? Are we to love our coworkers, clients, customers, and bosses? How can the commandments be relevant in a cutthroat environment? They have little to no practical use there. What if the workplace is toxic?

Certainly these are real and legitimate concerns. We live in the real world not on fantasy island.

Let me propose another way of looking at our vocation and try to map it into our world, where reality holds sway. I believe Steven Garber, founder and principal of the Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation, and Culture presents a useful perspective. He states: “It’s through our vocations that we are to take up this work of common grace for the common good.” Garber correlates vocation with pursuing the common good as the way to show common grace. The Bible portrays God providing common grace when he gives rain and sunshine to both the righteous and the wicked. Regardless of their moral condition, that is, whether they deserve it or not, everyone receives good things from God. They all benefit and enjoy.

God’s common grace is evident in a well-run universe where he provides for all the creatures. This grace manifests God’s character and benevolence. Our enjoying the natural beauty around us, I believe, fulfills God’s intent especially if we acknowledge the creator of beauty. We delight in pristine beaches especially if we alone have access. A field of flowers, a forest of majestic trees, a tranquil lake or a softly murmuring stream, and a breath-taking sunset, all attest to common grace. Even a functional infrastructure with dependable public transportation, well-kept roads, and proper street lighting at night are signs of common grace. It encompasses both naturally occurring and manmade wonders that make life sustainable and pleasant.

Interpreting common grace as God’s will, we align ourselves to his will with regard to this general grace in three practical ways. First, we intentionally enjoy his proffered goodness embedded in nature and in society. Evidently, he wants us to benefit and so our enjoyment is the desired response. We can go further by directing our appreciation toward him through primarily worship, praise, and thanksgiving. We acknowledge him as God, the source of all good things. Second, we exercise faith in him as someone trustworthy, reliably providing sustenance in meeting our needs. We regard him as steadfast, always there to supply, implying that he knows what we need. He is benevolent and not evil intent on harming us. And third, we extend God’s grace through our personal acts of grace. The creature expresses the will and objective of the creator. We are his agents of grace. Through our actions we multiply the goodness of God in our world. And, if we explain the motivation for our deeds, we draw people’s attention to our God. In turn, they direct their appreciation and gratitude toward him, acknowledging him as the ultimate source of good. They too can express faith in him and perhaps extend his grace to still others as we have done.

One area worth highlighting about common grace is the divine gift of the creative arts, whether music, the visual arts, the performing arts, or literature. This area of endeavor most accurately reflects God’s creative genius. He creates something new, so can we who are similarly gifted. Musicians, artists, actors, writers, and others in the profession possess the DNA to bring into existence something new, beautiful, emotive, stirring something inside us, stimulating the imagination to visualize the potential, what may not exist before but can in the future. We can categorize inventors and entrepreneurs as creative along a different avenue of endeavor. Even professions like landscapers, interior decorators, and innovative problem-solvers exercise creativity. We have not exhausted the possible examples with the aforementioned samples. All these confirm that our creator infused something of his image in every one of us. We all bear the image of God. Creativity begins with the imagination. We all possess the capacity to imagine, although some of us may be more adept at it than others. The ability to visualize the possibilities is integral to being creative.

The end result is that we can enjoy and appreciate a good play, movie, show, or concert. One of my favorite places to visit when I get the chance is the national gallery of art located in Washington, D.C. Another destination is Singapore’s national gallery. I usually walk slowly perusing the displays, marveling at the paintings or sculptures. I am a recipient of common grace.

When we contribute something of worth—it may be beautiful, stirring, and inspiring or it may be ordinary, simple, and seemingly insignificant—we are exercising common grace and, if it is intentional, we do it for the common good. We may or may not be looking for recognition or some compensation. So long as someone else benefits we have done something meaningful. Life is less about self-gain and more about others-focused. But that does not mean we shouldn’t benefit too. It may be in terms of the satisfaction of having done good. Or it may result in material profit. So long as others benefit.

The greatest commandment to love God with our all compels us to follow his lead. We honor him when we dispense common grace to others, thereby fulfilling the second greatest commandment to love our neighbor. Common grace means that we seek the common good of others. In this way, we partner with God, serving as his agents through whom he showers people with his grace.

This leads to the question raised earlier, who is my neighbor? The scope of God’s benevolence is global, everyone. But we’re not God; we cannot emulate him in scope or magnitude. We have our limits. As humans we can only achieve what our abilities and resources permit. But are we utilizing our all to maximize the benefits? No one expects us to go beyond our means. It would be foolish to do so as it would mean possible self-harm and harm to our families. Thus, if we must be selective about the beneficiaries, whom should we bless? Jesus’ parable about the good Samaritan only provides a general guideline. We should not artificially limit our consideration of possible candidates because of prejudice or discrimination. The first step would be to identify those who need something we can offer. They could be local and, with the advent of globalization, they could be elsewhere in the world. For example, many have donated to help Ukrainians in their conflict with Russia through established channels, such as missions agencies and charitable organizations. Then as the next step we determine how much to offer or the degree of involvement. There are no hard rules to follow. We may have interest in blessing others besides the one we are considering right now. So we have to decide how to appropriate a portion to each and still stay within our means. These are practical considerations because seeking the common good is practical that touches lives in tangible ways.

Our vocation, therefore, focuses on dispensing common grace for the common good. Pursuing this objective does not imply going out of our way and doing something we normally don’t do. On the contrary, our dreams, ambitions, goals, and lifestyle should align with this objective whereby as we go about our daily routine in the marketplace, at home, in the neighborhood, in our faith community, and time with friends, we do good for others naturally, almost second nature. Ever on the alert, we discern opportunities and, when able, we bless. Our workplace colleagues, family, people living nearby or elsewhere, friends, even strangers are potential beneficiaries. We do it quietly and unobtrusively. But those who know us well and are familiar with our lifestyle may know our character, basic orientation, and habitual practices. They would not be surprised.

I will my talk about our vocation next time and, in particular, discovering who are the beneficiaries of common grace. But for now, I close episode 4 of our series on work, career, and vocation. Until then have a safe and fulfilling day.

Questions and Comments

1. Recount one incidence where you experienced common grace.

2. Have you encountered an obstacle that prevented you from showing common grace?

3. What is something you can do personally to offer common grace to others?