It's a simple question. What do you want to do with your life? What do you desire? It's the question that all of us have been asked ever since we could remember, what do you want to be when you grow up?
With me being an AP student, a lot of my friends that I talk to in my classes aspire to be doctors, or lawyers, or engineers. Don't get me wrong, our society needs people like these, but what should our driving factor be in deciding what we want to be? Is it the atmosphere? The people? Or is it the pay? Sadly, not enough of us do what we want to do because it doesn't pay enough. I'll talk about myself for a little bit. Ever since I was in middle school, I've wanted to write. I have journals full of ideas for novels, and different topics to write about, but what's holding me back? There are a multitude of ideas. Maybe I'm afraid of criticism? Will it be good enough? But the main reason why I don't think I could make it as a writer is because I could make enough money from my publishings. Now, I do have dreams to fall back on, but are they really my desire?
Let me take some time to brag on my best friend, Robby Kennedy. Me and Robby have known each other pretty well since freshmen year. Ironically enough, the first time we met was when we we're doing a study over a section of the Bible during English class. Robby started going to church with me the summer between our sophomore and junior year. Eventually, he gave his life to Christ in October of our junior year. Now, God has worked in both me and Robby's lives in unimaginable ways, and I still remember the day when both of us were planning on building a church together where I would be the head pastor while he ran the youth program. Times have changed, and the Lord has worked on my heart more, but Robby's dreams have stayed the same. But he's not doing it for the money. The money has no purpose in his desires, and I love that.
What I'm really trying to get at here is, are you going into a certain job field because that's what you want to do, or is it because that's what would make your parents proud, or where you can make a lot of money? You do what you want to do with your life. The Lord has placed certain talents, desires, and interests on each of our hearts, and if you're following him, there's no doubt that you will be happy. If money wasn't a factor in your decision, what would you want to do? What would you be? I know SO many kids my age who would love to become a teacher, but they can't because they know it wouldn't be enough pay. I know SO many kids my age who would love to be missionaries or pastors, but they're reluctant to do that.
The Lord has placed a desire in my heart to enter the field of science. Nothing makes me more excited then when I walk into chemistry and see that we're doing a lab that day. People need as much help as we can get, and my dreams entail on developing low-cost drugs and immunizations that can be easily bought by African countries to supply out to their citizens living in poverty. Malaria and sickle cell anemia are no match for what the Lord can work in me. Now, maybe someday that will change? I don't know what my path looks like, but I know that I'll be making the Lord smile with whatever I'm doing. But I just see this huge need a man of God in the field of science, because faith in science can mix! No one is bold enough to do it though, and I think God has given me a purpose that seems impossible, but is completely possible with the power of the Holy Spirit. Maybe I'll publish a couple dozen books along the way also...
But what I'm trying to say here is, do what you want to do. If you want to write, then go write. If you want to go teach, then go teach. If you want to go preach, then go preach. If you want to go into third world countries and change their lives, then by all means, don't let money get into the way of pursuing the dreams that you have for your life and the purpose that God has laid ahead of you. Don't spend the rest of your life making money doing something you don't like to continue onto doing something you don't like. That'd be silly now wouldn't it?
What I like to say is the ones who are crazy enough to believe that they can change the world, are the ones who actually do it. So go. Get crazy. Change the world. And love your life.
Happiness > Money
No comments:
Post a Comment