Chasing Passions — CJ Quartlbaum
I’m your classic millennial. We are impassioned dreamers. Our parents worked incredibly hard to get us to the place where we can dream. My mother came to this country and worked three jobs so that I can have the ability to dream.
The plight of the millennial is well told. We have more debt than previous generations. We earn less and have a harder time finding employment than the generations before us . We’re getting married later , having kids later, and owning homes later than ever before. This is before you mention that we’ve lived through five recessions , 9/11, two wars, a global pandemic, and a ton of other stuff with the oldest of us just turning 40.
It’s not all bad though, I have opportunities that were not available to my parents. Because of their sacrifices and hard work, I have the ability to consider what it would look like to chase the things I’m passionate about. I am also in the season of life where there are things I have to do.
There comes a point in life where you have to give up on some dreams. You reach an age where you have to move on. It could be something as simple as aging out of the sport you wanted to go pro in or, after fifteen years of grinding, recognizing that a music career just isn’t there. Perhaps there is the business you poured your life into that, for whatever reason, will not succeed.
This is the point where you realize there are things you want to do and things you have to do. You may want to drop everything and pursue that passion project, but you have to take care of your family and can’t take that risk. You may want to pack up and travel the world but you have to pay the bills.That is the tension of the Want-To vs. the Have-To.
Many people will reach this place somewhere around their early 30s. According to scientists people’s brains are not fully developed until our late 20s. It is in your 30s when you start to question everything around you and experience a quarter-life crisis.
This is where life gets real. You’re typically a few years into your career. You’re not a student anymore but you’re also not the new kid on the block. For many people this is when they get that sinking feeling that they are falling behind. The career isn’t where you thought it would be, the marriage hasn’t happened or isn’t what you expected, and your bank account is probably lighter than you wanted it to be at this point.
This is where you start to ask the serious questions…. Is this it? Is this life for the next 30 years or so until retirement? For many people, this is where they start to throw themselves back into the passions they once had. They use their free time to work on that side hustle, that thing they truly love. The problem is, they can’t just quit their day jobs to pursue that side hustle. The to-dos of life weigh them down..
I know a lot of people who don’t like their jobs. Actually, most of the people I know would rather be doing something else (is this the product of a system that forces 18 year olds into lifelong decisions that cost tens of thousands of dollars and thus makes them feel like they have to stay in it?) but I find this to be especially prevalent among Christians.
I spent several years working with Christian college students. A common refrain I heard often as we discussed potential careers is “I just want to work for the Lord.” It is implicitly understood that means being in ministry. There’s a great little book by Tim Keller, Every Good Endeavor , that speaks to the heart of this issue. He spends most of the book reminding us of the importance of working for the glory of God in everything you do, not just in ministry work.
He states: “Our daily work can be a calling only if it is reconceived as God’s assignment to serve others.” This is about how we live and labor. Jesus said the two most important commandments are to love God and love others. We should view our work, whatever that may be, as an opportunity to work well before God and to serve those around us. This means that even if we have a job we don’t like or we aren’t very good at, there is always a call to be of service to others.
I don’t know if there is a right answer to the question of whether we should chase our passions or not, but I do know that we have to take care of our responsibilities. It is never ok to neglect the things you have to do, especially if there are people in this world who depend on you in some way. Even if no one depends on you, it’s not a good habit to form.
A few weeks ago, I met a guy who is everything I want to be when I grow up. He has 4 kids, started a nonprofit, runs a small business, just wrote a book, and is in great shape. When I asked him how he was able to juggle it all he explained to me the difference between assignments and opportunities.
Assignments come from God. If God has given you an assignment, he will equip you to be able to handle it. Opportunities come from the world. They aren’t necessarily a bad thing but they will take you away from your responsibilities. There is a time in your life when you can take opportunities, but eventually life gets to the place where you no longer can. As responsibilities pile up every good opportunity that comes across your desk shouldn’t receive a yes.
My advice is simple: take the time to pray and figure out what assignments God has for you. That doesn’t mean you up and drop everything, there will probably be a season of preparation but it’s nice to have direction. It’s important to remember that you have to be faithful where you are. However long God has you in the place that you’re in, do it to the best of your ability. While we do have earthly bosses we are accountable to, ultimately we answer to God.
We live in a side hustle world. Work on that passion in your spare time (afterall, it’s the reason you’re getting this newsletter). If this edition hits home for you, know that I am in the same place you are. Every day I face the weight of what I want to do against what I have to do. It is more important than ever for me to discern God’s assignments rather than chasing every opportunity that comes my way.
As Paul says in Colossians 3, whatever you do, work mightily as for the Lord and not for men. We maximize the gifts he has given us in whatever arenas he has placed us in. Chase your dreams but don’t despise where God has you.
Originally published at https://www.cjquartlbaum.com on August 7, 2020.