What a question! I remember being asked this question when I was in Jr. High School, maybe even before that. I especially remember considering this while in High School. As the father of a 16 year old daughter who is a junior in High School, this question is floating around in our house even now. What do you wanna do when you grow up? I don't really care for the phrasing in that format... My wife is all but convinced that I will never grow up. (She may be right!) Having been married for 18 years, my wife has watched me make some career changes. Some were lateral type moves, one sales job to another in pursuit of a better opportunity. There was also a time when I was advancing up the corporate ladder into mid-level management of a medium sized company. At 42 years old the longest I have stayed in one place has been 5 1/2 years. (I went back and spent another 1 1/2) See, at that point in my life God was using secular employment to prepare me for ministry.
I regret to tell you that at one point during this part of my professional life I lost sight of what was important in my life. I allowed my priorities to get out of order. I became focused on success in my job and I did it at the expense of my relationship with Jesus and also at the expense of my family. They got what was left over and that usually was not very much. See, I forgot that my significance was not in success, financial gain or another promotion, my significance was and always has been in Jesus Christ. It was Him that died to save me. It was Him that rescued me from a life of sin and destruction that would have led me to eternal separation from God. Yet, I was so selfish that I neglected Him and even the wonderful family He entrusted to my care.
Now listen, before you go and quit your job, cash in whats left of your 401k and spend the remainder of your life on the mission field, (Unless God is leading you that way!) I want to clarify a few things. We have to support our families. We have to support our church with tithes and offerings. I am not suggesting that you forsake your career. I am asking that you be willing to take a good hard look at the priorities in your life. We are called to be good stewards with what God has entrusted to us. I do think that this means our job.
My challenge is that your first priority is your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You must have this vertical relationship intact if you have any hope of having horizontal (earthly) relationships intact. Do not deprive the Giver of Life of your devotion. He deserves it and He desires it. Next, love your spouse like there is no tomorrow, he/she is a gift from God. Pour into your family. They need to see Godly parents living a life in pursuit of holiness and righteousness. Allow your vocation to serve as a funding source for your personal ministry. See, God has already prescribed a plan for your life. You can read about it in Ephesians 2:10- "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do."
Will you allow Jesus to be the priority in your life? Will you trust Him to direct your path as you obey the call He has on your life? I pray you will.
Waiting on Him,
ML
