“He who does little, but in a state to which God calls him, does more than he who labors much, but in a state which he has thoughtlessly chosen: a cripple limping in the right way is better than a racer out of it.”

• Augustine

“The Lord enjoins every one of us, in all the actions of life, to have respect to our own calling. He knows the boiling restlessness of the human mind, the fickleness with which it is borne hither and thither, its eagerness to hold opposites at one time in its grasp, its ambition. Therefore, lest all things should be thrown into confusion by our folly and rashness, he has assigned distinct duties to each in the different modes of life. And that no one may presume to overstep his proper limits, he has distinguished the different modes of life by the name of callings. Every man’s mode of life, therefore, is a kind of station assigned him by the Lord, that he may not be always driven about at random.”

• John Calvin

What do you have planned when you graduate from high school?

Or maybe you are in your last year of college but still aren’t sure what you want to do when you graduate?

Some jobs appeal to you, and others…not so much.

In our minds, certain careers have a certain glamour, whereas others we might look down on.

Or maybe you see yourself in a dead-end job.

To such a notion comes the truth expressed by John Calvin, that when you understand that it is God who places us in our position, that you will no longer see your work as “mean and sordid,” but will believe that your work has “splendour and value in the eyes of God.”

To the young person who is frustrated at their current position in life, who finds it hard to be content and who suffers “inconveniences, cares, uneasiness, and anxiety” on account of their work, remembering that it is your heavenly Father who has placed on you this burden will provide “admirable consolation.”

This issue also features the (re)introduction of the Current Events rubric written by Devin Hiemstra. Devin will be commenting on various news headlines and providing our young people with a proper understanding of these events that are impacting our lives. May it never be said of us that we could accurately predict the weather, but we cannot identify the times in which we live (Luke 12:54–57). Our prayer is that God will be pleased to use this rubric to help all of us be wise to the soon coming of our Lord.

Finally, the editorial is a reprint from the February 1957 issue of Beacon Lights and was penned by then editor, Jason Kortering. Rev. Kortering was ordained into the gospel ministry in September 1960. He served six congregations here in the United States and served as minister-on-loan to Singapore until becoming emeritus in 2002. His faith was made sight on December 20, 2020, he had written upon him the name of his God (Rev. 3:12), and he now beholds his Savior, Jesus Christ, face to face. We republish this article in his memory and with thanks to God for his work.

Originally published February 2021, Vol 80 No 2