Nowadays, there is so much hype behind the idea of pursuing one's passion. Consequently, workers are clamouring for professions that provide meaning and satisfaction sometimes at the expense of finding satisfaction solely in Jesus Christ.
While it's important that we find passion in what we do, there seems to be the widespread misconception that just because a job doesn't have "spark" and glamour, it's not worth doing. And we the church can be guilty of feeding into that misperception by trying to "sell" church experiences, ministry work and mission trips.
As a result blue-collar jobs and more "common" professions can be abandoned because the source of passion is less obvious. But is passion really found in your job title, work wear, snazzy office, amazing teammates, etc. etc. or is it found in a state of mind?
Is God really calling us to pursue glamorous jobs or to pursue the jobs that mean something to Him with a powerfully uplifting, Christ-centered attitude?
If we look at Jesus' work, we will see that His job wasn't always glamorous. There were times when He had to teach when He didn't want to, heal when He was tired himself, and love when the person was not deserving of it. There was an awful lot of walking around in the dust and heat, and he described himself as someone who did not have any place to lay his head.
Luke 22:42 even tells us that Jesus once declared, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done."
This was Jesus' way of saying "Daddy, please give me a different job."
However, we can learn from Jesus' conclusion when He says, "Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done."
Often we think that just because our jobs are stressful, tiring, difficult, demanding or thoroughly unglamorous that it's not God's will, but sometimes even God's will can be stressful, tiring, difficult, demanding and thoroughly unglamorous. This is not because it's not a great job, but because it's a job worth doing even if things get hard - or hard to understand.
The real question really goes back to the position our hearts are in when we do the things we do. Do we work on our careers and relationships with a heart ready to serve from the bottom no matter how hard it can get or do we just want the perks and the glory? Philippians 2:3 reminds us, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."
Passion rarely starts with pay checks, flexible hours, travel bonuses, and all the benefits and privileges. Having a passion for something means being called to work on something with all our heart and strength because we know for a fact that it's meaningful and necessary and that God has given us the privilege to carry out such work.
