Is there a difference between a job and a career? Many of us have a job now or had one in the past. It doesn't have to be anything special to be a job, just something we do/did because we wanted or needed money. But if I asked you if you had a "career", your answer could be much different.
I have been at my current job for over 12 years now. If you asked me about my work, I could explain the ins and outs of it, what I enjoy, what I find tedious and what my goals are in the years to come. But if you asked me if I considered it a career I would have a hard time telling you yes. If we look at the dictionary definition, a career is defined as:
An occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life and with opportunities for progress.
On the surface, this is exactly what I just described with my job. However, I think there is something more than time and opportunity that define a career. As I dug a little deeper and looked through the list of synonyms for the word “career”, one of them resonated with me. The word was "Calling".
What’s your Calling?
Do you have a calling? I do. I am still working out the details, but I know I have one. I know it involves my family and the older I get the more clearly I understand that there is something that God has put me on this earth to do. If you pushed me to define my calling at this point in life, it would look something like this:
To be a loving father and husband who leads provides for and nurtures his family.
Now, after reading that you may think:
“You can’t just redefine the word ‘career’ because you want to focus on your family. You’re probably just doing that because you don’t like your job or something….”
But I would argue that when it comes to choosing our career, our mindset is everything! You can have a person who is perfectly happy working at McDonald’s and considers it their career, while you can also have a CEO unhappy because he feels his calling is somewhere else. Don’t take my word for it though, this is how the Bible works too. Sin is sin because of our mindset. Faith is faith because of our mindset. In both of these circumstances our mindset determines our actions, so why shouldn't our career be based on our mindset as well?
What does a Career look like for you?
Having a dream is one thing, turning that dream into something REAL is something different entirely.
Jobs are a funny thing. If we put in the necessary work, we have the opportunity to succeed at nearly anything. There are a plethora of “self-made” millionaires who will happily attest to this truth. As I thought of this in light of my desires I realized something. There are a host of things I would love to “do for a living”. The problem is, in order to turn most of these hobbies/passions into a career would require a lot of work. I am not at all against work, but I am against leaving my family on the sideline to watch as I try and “make it”. To me that is unacceptable. Instead, my dream is to have a career that can involve my family. Something that allows me to put the necessary work in, while also being present with them. This means parenting with my wife and teaching our kids each and every day while I work. An end goal like this presents a hurdle to the regular road to success that many entrepreneurs take.
Leading a family in America has been pushed to a secondary role when it comes to many work-from-home entrepreneurs. This isn’t always by choice. The rising cost of living and the rising numbers of single parents have forced this choice on many people who want to “make it” on their own. But remember, my desire is to be present for my family. I can do that to some extent with the job I have, but I still miss large portions of most days and I miss some events altogether due to the travel I go on. The question then becomes, can these two seemingly diametrically opposed things work? Can I pursue a career while devoting more time to my kids and my wife?
I believe there is a way to do this for not only myself but for anyone who wants it. I see the path to success much like stepping stones across a stream.
What is the path to success?
First, we need a plan. When we have a clear road-map with achievable objectives we are starting out on the right track. On the other hand, if all we have is a desire, then we are just daydreaming.
Second, we must be willing to (happily) work whatever job God has provided us in the present as a means to grow into something bigger and better in the future. Counting our blessings and praising God for what we have now can create contentment even in the midst of a desire for something more. This contentment in turn, helps us focus and make smarter choices as we pursue our dreams.
Third, and I believe most importantly, the desire we have for success MUST line up with what God wants for us and teaches us in his word. This is the mindset part; it doesn’t matter how much you “heard from God” about a career choice. If your desires don’t line up with what the Bible teaches, you are in for a rough road. Maybe you will succeed, maybe not, but God will certainly not be on your side if you are seeking your own glory. Proverbs 16:3 sums this point up when it tells us to:
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
Whenever we encounter rough patches or have doubts about where we are headed it is good practice to both check our intentions to make sure we are aligned with God’s will and to remind ourselves of promises like this. (Also read Psalm 1)
Finally, we must be willing to sacrifice now in order to achieve our goal in the future. This could be sacrificing sleep, or time to do other hobbies or even time with family. A “dream” career will stay a dream unless we put the work in to achieve it.
Let's do this!
With hard work, faith and a good business model, I believe it is possible for anyone to get to the point where they are in control of their own time.
So I will press on, building my plan working toward it and praying for clarity concerning the career that I want, all the while seeking to glorify God and love my family in the present.
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