Some get paid to do what they love. They’re able to answer God’s call for their life and earn a living in the same work. But many others are like Paul who earn a living making tents in order to support their ministry elsewhere.
To be sure, we each have a calling for our life – a fire in our bones that demands expression. And we ultimately grieve ourselves and God when we don’t answer this call.
But answering this call doesn’t always equate to where we make money and provide for our families.
These are often two separate considerations.
- How has God called me to use my strength to bring more life and goodness into the world?
- How do I earn a living to support the basic needs of my family?
While some choose to give up their deep call to just focus on providing financially, others essentially neglect their family in pursuit of their passion.
But both extremes leave a lot to be desired. And a better approach is learning how to integrate the two.
A writer, for example, might still earn a living in corporate America. While the passion and call is to express ideas through the written word, there might not be a lot of earning potential here. On the other hand, while the corporate job might be tedious, it pays well.
In the end, they work together, though it’s important to keep them in their proper perspective.
Where we earn a living might simply be a job. We’re there to get a paycheck and not fulfill the desires of our heart. We show up and do the work to support our calling elsewhere.
And we’re also careful not to overextend ourselves on the job – learning to keep it within its proper bounds while saving the energy to fulfill our true calling later.
Enjoy getting paid to do what you love whenever you can. And remember it’s okay to make tents as needed to support God’s call for your life.
