Read Ecclesiastes 9:10

I'm just maverick enough to say that I think fewer Christians ought to be going into the ministry and more should be going into business and into occupations that have nothing to do with the vocational Christian service. 

I don't see life divided into public and private, secular and sacred. It's all an open place of service before our God. 

My hope is to see...a group of Christians who will infiltrate our society—in fact, our entire world—with a pure, beautiful message of grace and honesty in the marketplace.

Recently I had a delightful talk with a keen-thinking young man...at our church. As we visited, I asked him about his future plans. 

"Well, I've just graduated from law school," he said. When I asked about how he hoped to use his training, he said, "I want to be a man of integrity who practices law." 

What refreshing words! They reflected the right priority.

Excerpted from Charles R. Swindoll, Wisdom for the Way (Nashville: J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2001). Copyright © 2001 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.