Patrick Flood was one of the rising stars at HomeBanc Mortgage Corporation, Atlantas top mortgage lending institution. But he tossed and turned one night in turmoil.

Patrick woke up in the middle of the night realizing his responsibility for people. I thought I was being called into ministry, he recently shared with a reporter. After much prayer and soul-searching, Patrick concluded that God wasnt calling him to be a pastor, but He did have a ministry in mind.

What the Lord was doing was creating clarity for me that my specific calling in ministry was being responsible for people in the marketplace.

Today Patrick is putting biblical principles to work at his job and allowing HomeBanc employees to be open aboutand even celebratefaith in the workplace. And more than just HomeBanc employees are benefiting. National Public Radio recently featured the HomeBanc story, exposing millions of listeners to Patricks convictions.

My friend Ike Reighard, who also was interviewed on the broadcast, recently left church pastoring after 30 years to head HomeBancs human resources.

Theres no job thats big enough to be able to fill your spirit, Ike told the NPR reporter. There has to be something more. There has to be a sense of calling.

Too many Christians separate the faith part of life from work. They check at the office or factory door the very thing that could make the greatest positive difference in their coworkers lives and that could give them strength and courage to make the best on-the-job decisions.

Lets face it, many of us dont need the force of the ACLU to keep our faith quietwe  take care of it all by ourselves. We listen to the preacher and see him as the exceptionspecially called by God to proclaim the gospel to the world. Well, your pastor has received a special calling, but if you are a believer, you have received one as well, and it is no less special.

Paul made it clear that God did not intend for the called out ones to be an elite club among Christians. In verse one of Romans he introduces himself as Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and singled out for Gods good news.

There was no question in Pauls mind that God had called him to make a significant difference for Christ in his worldnot only knowing Him but making Him known. The Greek word Paul uses here is kletos, which could be translated personally invited. God had personally beckoned Paul to enter into a relationship with Him and to be on mission for Him.

And only five verses later Paul addresses the entire constituency of the church at Romeevery member: Including yourselves who are also Jesus Christs by calling: To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints.

The word here is the same word he used for his own calling: kletos. Paul saw the calling of the members of the church as no different than histo different roles, without question, but all called to walk with Christ and be on mission for Him.

Paul, like ministers today, was gifted and called to equip others for their mission in reaching the world for Christ (Paul stresses the same reality again in 1 Corinthians 1:12). That same sense of calling was to significantly impact the life of every devoted follower of Christ.

Im not advocating that we should see our pastors or missionaries as any less special but to understand that, if youre a mortgage broker, construction worker, store clerk or school teacher, you have received no less a calling. If youre a student, homemaker, medical professional or attorney, your mission field is no less urgent.

Several years ago I felt the Lord leading me to leave the evangelism ministry I had been serving and to go on staff with a corporate group serving the automotive, aircraft and computer industries. Im sorry to say that several of my Christian friends thought something was wrong. Are you and Cheryl having marriage problems? one asked.

But I felt the move was the most natural thing in the world, because God was simply calling me from one place of ministry to another.

My friend Randy received a similar response when he announced to partners at his law firm that he was leaving to join the North American Mission Board staff. Oh, youre going into ministry? they asked. No, he told them. Ive always been in ministry.

Wheres your ministry?  Ill give you a hintlook around you!   

Dr. Bob Reccord is president of the North American Mission Board, SBC, a book author and host of the Strength for Living Baptist Hour that airs on more than 400 radio stations. His latest book, co-authored with Randy Singer, is Made To Count, Discovering What To Do With Your Life (W Publishing Group, 2004).