This afternoon at work, I was listening to "The Dave Ramsey Show" podcast and was momentarily stunned by a story that I heard unfolding as a listener called in and asked for Ramsey's advice on a situation that she was in.* This caller's situation is that she was working a $85,000-year-job in "Corporate-America" where she was the sole bread winner for a family of four (due to her husband being disabled.) They decided to quit her job so that she could pursue God's calling in her life. She told Ramsey that she didn't want to be running the rat race that so many people seem to run. The fall out of all of this is that her family is now on food stamps.
Dave's eventual response was perfect: "24 hour a day meditation is not feeding your family."
I think his answer is the key to this situation, and to an even greater narrative that has swept the church today. It has been a common trope in the church to find "the Lord's calling in your life." This is a very good thing to do, but it needs to be done with discernment and wisdom. In this instance, when you are financial responsible for three other people, you need to be able to examine this situation from every angle before making a move this drastic. Sometimes, you may be called to drop everything (Matthew 4: 18-22), but this is a misapplication of that principle. There is another common metaphor that rebuts this one: grow where you're planted. It emphasizes seeing the will of the Lord in the present moment, and to be satisfied with where you are. That is what this situation called for. This lady needed to be satisfied with where she was. As Ramsey pointed out, there is nothing wrong with pursuing her dreams, but she needed to be aware of those that would be effected by her decision.
These metaphors and tropes are very useful shorthands, but a misunderstanding of these philosophies can produce a wishy-washy Christianity, so it is all the more important to be-ware it's danger and to ground our theology in the truth of Scripture.
"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." - Psalm 46:10, ESV.
*For those of you who want to listen to the episode. It is hour number two, "Don't Quit Your Job If It Makes Your Family Starve."
Dave's eventual response was perfect: "24 hour a day meditation is not feeding your family."
I think his answer is the key to this situation, and to an even greater narrative that has swept the church today. It has been a common trope in the church to find "the Lord's calling in your life." This is a very good thing to do, but it needs to be done with discernment and wisdom. In this instance, when you are financial responsible for three other people, you need to be able to examine this situation from every angle before making a move this drastic. Sometimes, you may be called to drop everything (Matthew 4: 18-22), but this is a misapplication of that principle. There is another common metaphor that rebuts this one: grow where you're planted. It emphasizes seeing the will of the Lord in the present moment, and to be satisfied with where you are. That is what this situation called for. This lady needed to be satisfied with where she was. As Ramsey pointed out, there is nothing wrong with pursuing her dreams, but she needed to be aware of those that would be effected by her decision.
These metaphors and tropes are very useful shorthands, but a misunderstanding of these philosophies can produce a wishy-washy Christianity, so it is all the more important to be-ware it's danger and to ground our theology in the truth of Scripture.
"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." - Psalm 46:10, ESV.
*For those of you who want to listen to the episode. It is hour number two, "Don't Quit Your Job If It Makes Your Family Starve."
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