Last month, I celebrated three years since graduating from college with a business degree. How did I celebrate? I went to work. After graduating in Spring 2005, I loafed around the apartment for a week or so, hanging out and waiting for my sugar-momma of a wife to come home from her full-time job. Yeah, it was just a week. One week was enough - it was time to get a job. A milieu of job applications, resume submissions, cover letter tweaks, and anxious waiting moments later… I got a call. The interview went great (I look great in a suit!) I was offered a job, accepted the offer (someone was actually willing to pay me to do stuff!?). and have since taken another job in the same company. I have a career. I make career moves. I’m a career-man… Whatev.
What’s a career for anyway? There are plenty of career moves in the scriptures. When they committed to follow him, Jesus’ disciples left behind promising careers like fisherman (a consistent market!), tax collector (government job!), zealot (activists are always hot!). What did they get in return? The opportunity to make an eternal impact in an eternal enterprise - restoring and reconciling people to God.
Sure, it cost them everything, but they budgeted for that.
Living your life in the discipleship of Jesus teaches you to roll with the punches a little and to be more than accommodating to less than stellar circumstances - all in the name of something better. Look at this career move by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:8-9:
… I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.
Okay - first part makes sense, but there are many who oppose me? How is that a good thing? What we see is Paul’s commitment to minister where Christ must be made known at any cost. Ever look at what “at any cost” really means? We say it a lot in the career world:
- “At any cost, we must improve our operational performance!”
- “We have to close this sale, at any cost!”
- “We will spare no cost to satisfy our customers!”
What we really mean isn’t at any cost. It’s more like at the company’s cost, or at someone else’s cost. Plenty of people work long hours and endure tons of struggle for the sake of their careers… but then they get paid. Following Jesus involves no salary, benefits, or retirement plans - in fact, you have to pay to do this work. And the price is very steep. When Paul said at any cost - he really meant it. Following Christ (no matter what your job may be) costs so much your thinking even gets screwed up. You begin to see opposition to your ministry and work as a good thing! (Paul ended up spending two years in Ephesus!) You begin to consider the costs more like deposits investments. Your values change. Your career trajectory aims low instead of high. So what do you get out of it? Everything! Yeah, I know, I said it will cost everything - but you also get everything: closeness with God, meaningful relationships, formation into the holy and beautiful individual you were meant to be, membership in a revolutionary community of faith, a seat at a wonderful feast, and more…
As for me. I know where my career is taking me and I can sincerely tell you it doesn’t involve cheap break-room coffee. They’ve got the good stuff where I’m working. Yeah!
- What kind of career are you chasing?
- Are you open to God’s hand in your career?
- Have you made a career out of loving God? Want to make a career change?
- What are you waiting for?
this post rocks! i love how you mentioned a lot of people will give everything they have to a job but then they still get paid! that’s really not sacrifice. gr8 thoughts.
Really enjoyed reading here. My wife liked this post so much I decided to swipe your best line. Thanks.