"Figure out what you love and find a way to serve God with it."

The other day in a class a girl mentioned that her father was leaving the business world to pursue full time ministry. Our professor kept going on and on about how wonderful it was that he was doing that. Like he had been denying the call of God all these years and was finally doing the right thing. But why is it wrong to be in the business world? We need more Christians bringing their morals and ethics into the business world and so many other careers. We can't all be full time, fully supported missionaries or preachers. It seems like so often having a career that isn't missions or ministry is seen as almost criminal or at least of lesser value. But I think it's so important for Christians to be out and active in the world. There is nothing wrong with being a preacher, but I doubt that a preacher is going to have the same opportunities as the chemist working in a lab or the stockbroker on Wall Street. Christians need to not shy away from challenging careers just because the are dominated by non-christians. We need to be flocking to those jobs and sharing our love and our message as we work alongside people. If you know me at all you know that I would be quite the hypocrite to say that full time ministry is wrong. I think it's very much needed and exactly what some people need to be doing and it's something I myself have considered (and still consider.) But to disregard the possiblities and opprotunities for outreach in a "secular career," is in itself almost criminal.

Some one once told me, "Figure out what you love and find a way to get paid for it." Instead of that how about this, "Figure out what you love and find a way to serve God with it." Don't deny your gifts and talents to be something you weren't meant to be. And don't let people make you feel bad because you'd rather not move to Africa and live in a mud hut. Some are called to mud huts and open sky and some are called to high rise apartments and crowded streets. Each is equally valid.