“You know in my country, where I come from, I could never be sitting next to you.”
There we were relaxing on the grass at a Little League Baseball picnic. Our boys had been playing on the same team, and now it was time to celebrate the end of the season. As a truck driver, Salvador was amazed to find himself in a social setting sitting and talking with a teacher. He didn’t use the word, but I knew he felt his station was much lower than mine.
In the military or law enforcement, your station is your place of duty. It’s your assigned position. The worst offense would be to abandon your station.
Many offices or factories have workstations. Unlike a private office, it’s simply the place where employees are doing their jobs. Perhaps it is a position in an assembly line. In a business setting, it is a location behind a desk complete with a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and perhaps a modem, camera, scanner and printer. Sometimes it is literally where you stand.
Although the term is seldom heard, we all recognize what our “station in life” means.
It’s our status. Our occupation, education, length of service, upbringing, wealth, or family background can all be factors. Any one of these can determine where we fit in at a school, an office, a business, or a social event. In families, our status is usually determined by our age.
If you dare to step out of your station, you might get a withering look that says, “Don’t get any big ideas! Know your place!” You could even hear the challenge to your ambitious plans: “Who do you think you are?”
There is a conscious effort in our society today to foster equality. We are encouraged to treat others the same no matter what their status. Be polite. Don’t push someone around. Say please and thank you. These should be a matter of course, the expected. Just because our stations in life are different is no excuse for being rude or disrespectful.
But the Lord Jesus expects us to go far beyond just smiling and being human to everyone. Our treatment of others is more than showing everyone respect. He equips us for works of service, the same to everyone regardless of who they are (Ephesians 4:12).
When we consider our company, our classroom, our family, our church, are we mindful of divisions and barriers? Is there an atmosphere of status that interferes with cooperation and progress? Are there certain tasks some feel are beneath their station to do? Shouldn’t serving be in everyone’s job description?
Walt Disney certainly worked to break down those divisions. He asked every employee to be aware of what might mar the appearance of his park and the enjoyment of his guests. If there was litter, pick it up. If someone needed help, find a way to remedy their problem. He modeled that expectation. It wasn’t beneath him to pick up a candy wrapper or console a lost child.
But what about our true station in life, our position, our status in the eyes of our Lord? Where do we rank?
As Christians we do have a special status. Our Lord Jesus calls us His friends, His children, His own. Our nationality or gender or race has no place. There is no special ranking of faith. We are all equal. We are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).
We are also equal in our sinfulness as we stand beneath the cross. Equal in the sight of our Lord Jesus when He sees us as His saved children, no matter how long we have known Him as our Savior (Matthew 20:1-15).
Our true workstation is wherever we are placed by our Lord Jesus, where He assigns us, where we stand. It’s wherever we find ourselves in life, no matter what our station. He asks us to treat everyone equally; but, more than that, to have equal concern for each other (1 Corinthians 12:25).
I don’t want to miss my opportunity when the Lord calls on me. I pray I will always be found at my station, doing my job, doing my best for Him. Always ready to be used to His glory.
Christine Vogelsang is a teacher, musician, pastor’s wife, and mother of three adult children. For almost forty years her family enjoyed the love of congregations in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Southern California. She has earned her master’s degree in education, taught at various schools (from kindergarten to college) and served as music director for twenty-five years at their last church.
While writing and speaking about the joy of being God’s child has always been a part of her life, it wasn’t until her weekly inspirational blogs (restoringthejoy.net) gained an international following that Christine decided to publish her first book. She has also written and produced three plays about people and events in the Gospels that bring these ancient stories to life.
Christine and her husband have retired from full time church work; however, her blog ministry continues to grow. She recently completed her Restoring the Joy: Leaving My Guilt at the Cross book series (available through Amazon) and is scheduling more speaking engagements that highlight her spiritual passion: joy without guilt!
