Religion, business, arts and entertainment, education, family, media, and government. These are the seven mountains of culture as defined by author and speaker Os Hillman. Speaking at Regent University's School of Law Chapel on Thursday, Nov. 17, Hillman challenged students to recognize their roles as "change agents" in these seven areas of influence.
Discussing the age-old debate over vocation versus calling, Hillman asked the students, "How do we bring the entire area of our life into our calling?" The idea of calling raises the question of purpose—specifically God's purposes for His people. "What God's put us on the earth for is to manifest His presence on the earth," he explained. "Transformed people transform culture."
"It was [once] thought that if we could just get more Christians in the culture, then we could change the culture," Hillman said. But, he added, sheer numbers of people claiming faith are not what brings change. He proposed that there are four primary things that distinguish Christians in careers outside of the organized Church: excellence, integrity, servant leadership, and miracles.
Ultimately, Hillman said, God uses a refining process to push people towards the “larger story” for their lives. That process includes steps of character development, times of isolation, networking and bearing fruit. "As you are going through your journey, you are going to see these marks, “Hillman said.
Most Christians want the “larger story,” but are often not prepared to know what it will cost. Sharing from his own life, Hillman related a great crisis that proved to be preparation for his current career. Everything had been going well. He had a successful advertising business for twelve years with many loyal clients. Yet in a space of three months, he was utterly devastated. “I lost over half a million dollars, eighty percent of my business…and my wife left me,” said Hillman. Recovering was a seven year process.
Yet this tragedy transformed Hillman’s perspective of God. “So many times when God takes us through crisis, it’s to reveal something about him” Hillman said. A new depth inspired him to write a devotional series. His writing opened doors.
Through his story, and several others, Hillman encouraged the students to allow God to work through their chosen professions, even now as they are in law school. "God is preparing you and do not despise small things," he said, paraphrasing Zechariah 4:10. Other workers in the marketplace want to know who they are dealing with—the wisdom that makes a Christian different. According to Hillman, that special insight is exactly what Regent students are learning here.
by Mallory Hitt and Rachel Judy
Discussing the age-old debate over vocation versus calling, Hillman asked the students, "How do we bring the entire area of our life into our calling?" The idea of calling raises the question of purpose—specifically God's purposes for His people. "What God's put us on the earth for is to manifest His presence on the earth," he explained. "Transformed people transform culture."
"It was [once] thought that if we could just get more Christians in the culture, then we could change the culture," Hillman said. But, he added, sheer numbers of people claiming faith are not what brings change. He proposed that there are four primary things that distinguish Christians in careers outside of the organized Church: excellence, integrity, servant leadership, and miracles.
Ultimately, Hillman said, God uses a refining process to push people towards the “larger story” for their lives. That process includes steps of character development, times of isolation, networking and bearing fruit. "As you are going through your journey, you are going to see these marks, “Hillman said.
Most Christians want the “larger story,” but are often not prepared to know what it will cost. Sharing from his own life, Hillman related a great crisis that proved to be preparation for his current career. Everything had been going well. He had a successful advertising business for twelve years with many loyal clients. Yet in a space of three months, he was utterly devastated. “I lost over half a million dollars, eighty percent of my business…and my wife left me,” said Hillman. Recovering was a seven year process.
Yet this tragedy transformed Hillman’s perspective of God. “So many times when God takes us through crisis, it’s to reveal something about him” Hillman said. A new depth inspired him to write a devotional series. His writing opened doors.
Through his story, and several others, Hillman encouraged the students to allow God to work through their chosen professions, even now as they are in law school. "God is preparing you and do not despise small things," he said, paraphrasing Zechariah 4:10. Other workers in the marketplace want to know who they are dealing with—the wisdom that makes a Christian different. According to Hillman, that special insight is exactly what Regent students are learning here.
by Mallory Hitt and Rachel Judy