I have a bone to pick with myself. I have a bone to pick with American culture. I am annoyed how I have let this aspect of American culture to influence my thinking.
I have developed within myself a belief that any worthwhile occupation will inevitably include a consistent high level of pressure. I use “occupation” in the broadest sense within which it is not limited to your job, but rather those things that occupy your time more definitively. I have found myself attributing the most value to professions and agendas that necessitate constant strain. I feel that this is a product of culture rather than a product of actually attaining a better understanding of how things really are. I have come to understand that this is a lie from hell that leads even the most devout pastors and Christian laymen to pursue achievement rather than God, put faith in efforts rather than the Spirit, imitate the culture rather than Christ, and to find sufficiency in personal accomplishment rather than Christ’s.
When we seek the Kingdom first the vanity of earthly achievement becomes far more apparent.
When we rely on the Spirit we recognize the vanity of our own naked efforts.
When we would rather imitate Christ than meet cultural expectations we find ourselves really living real life that is reflective of God’s glory and grace.
When we find our sufficiency in Christ’s accomplishment we become far less dependent on our own accomplishments.
I think that high-level stress lives quench the above three qualities. Not that no person is ever called to have these jobs or that God cannot protect us from this quenching and provide enablement to glorify him through the prolonged circumstances. My point is more that we should be careful not to follow the American culture in believing that demanding and pressure-filled occupations are more worthwhile than those that are not such. While these occupations generally come with more accomplishment, we must remember that no person has ever been defined by personal accomplishment. We are only defined by our association with the accomplishment of Christ.
There ought to be no division in our minds between a job that comes with massive responsibility, pressure, and 6 figures and a job that comes with free time, enjoyment, and 4 figures. There ought to be no division in our minds between the southern backwoods pastor of a church of 12 and the urban mega-church pastor of 25k. Neither of these men is accepted on behalf of any accomplishment of his own. In either case, we must be the person who is guided by the 4 above steps rather than guided by fleshly thinking that builds our lives into something that will only die. The 4 guiding principles above will lead any person live a life that lives and means something beyond the grave. Maybe you can’t pay your bills if you got a job that you feel would free you to get more involved in your family, church, and community, or to get a job within which you can really express your God-given abilities. So sell your house and get a cheaper one. Sell your SUV and get something with 4 cylinders and ride your bike to more places. Stop buying Starbucks every day. Regardless of what the flesh tells you, you don’t need those things to be happy. See success through God’s eyes. For me, I feel like being over-pressurized during the day drains me and leaves me empty when I get home where my family is. My family, my church, my community, and my God deserve more than the leftovers! And still, the leftovers are often spent on amusement. There are many ways you could define a failure. I think this is one of those definitions.
Take the example of Sabbath. This is proof that God is not ultimately concerned about our efficiency and having a full calendar all the time. Take the example of Christ who showed us that sometimes it’s far better to go to a mountain and pray or wander in the wilderness rather than engage the multitudes. Sometimes it’s better to not have a place to lay your head, but live with your heavenly residence in mind. Take the example of the still small voice that Elijah found God in, or the single, sincere, short prayer with which he called down fire from heaven, rather than imitating the ruckus of his desperate, idolatrous nation. In Christ we are not in such a desperate condition where we have to run around frantically until God does something.
The moral of this post is – we give ourselves far too much credit and give far too little to God. It is not enough to say “praise God” when success comes. We must be the kind of person who means it and does it whether he says it or not, and doesn’t just say something he was told to say since he was as a 2nd grader when he first played special music in Church! We really rely on ourselves far too much to make life work. We think life our little world is far bigger than it really is and it would all stop spinning if we don’t do this or that. Or that the things we are involved in will fail if we weren’t there. We need to live in God’s reality! Get to know it! Get to know Him! Give Him the first fruits of your being, not your occupation! When your occupation, even if it’s being a pastor, takes the first fruits away from God and restrains your ability to influence your family and community like you should, it’s time to reevaluate your situation.