I currently work as an accountant and spend most of my week looking at spreadsheets and crunching numbers. Like most American men today, I am disengaged at work and would rather do something else with my time. As I sit in my cubicle and look back 25 years, I wonder how I ended up doing work that does not satisfy me and is not what God called me to do.
The reality is most of us are forced to make the most important decision of our lives when we are in our 20s or younger. We feel obligated to choose our work and decide what to do with the rest of our lives without understanding our strengths, our passions, and our purpose.
When I chose to go into accounting, I honestly did not pray about it or question if it was something I was going to enjoy doing. I did like most men and decided on my career path based on its earning potential.
It seemed like a right decision at the time especially since growing up I always remember my dad stressed out about money and having to deal with several bankruptcies. I also knew that CPAs were experts at managing money and got paid well. So accounting and becoming a CPA became my safety blanket.
However, after working over 20 years as an accountant, I now realize that life is not about the amount of money I make or the things I can buy. You see, I can never become the best accountant I can be because I have no passion for it. I also find it hard to make a difference in the lives of others when I am disengaged in my work.
The good news is that it is never too late to change. God designed all of us to fulfill His calling. To do work that we are passionate about that matches our unique strengths.
For me, I am passionate about helping kids and teens to build healthy habits and lose weight. This is what God has called me to do, and I am actually very good at it. I have been very fortunate to find my calling while still in my 40s and have even started two teen weight loss businesses over the years.
I have not been able to retire from accounting and pursue teen weight loss full-time yet. However, I pray every day for God to give me the strength, courage, and wisdom to follow His will. If our good Lord truly desires that I dedicate my life to helping teens build healthy habits, He will make it happen. However, it is up to me to take the steps necessary and to never, ever give up.
Author: Jorge Martinez
Good for you, Jorge!
I’m in a season of unemployment after working 20 years in a role and climbing to the Exec levels.
What I face now is the opportunity to go into teaching (which is what I feel God has as my calling) or pursuing another lucrative opportunity.
Unlike you, I do like my work. But perhaps this is a situation of giving up something I like for something I “may” love. I know the practical answer is to work my way into it, but I’m considering taking a leap of Faith. The price is high, either way…
Great commentary. I thinks lots of men can really relate to this story, I know I did. Thank you.
I have, in my opinion, the best career. I drempt about it growing up. I pursued it for 10 years out of high school. Ive been actively working in the same field for 30 years. God has blessed me” til my cup runnith over”. Yet recently I wonder if I’m truly serving him in this work, or have I in my selfishness ignored Gods will in my work. I grew up in age when men were defined by there occupation.” Oh, that’s so- and- so the carpenter,farmer,lawyer, I longed for the title Tim, the heavy equipment operator. Over the last 8 or so years I’ve learned that its still not a complete description of who God wants me to be. I believe he is leading me to become uncommen, for me thats not allowing my past to take my focus off the present?. The gift of another day to serve, as Jesus did, in whatever i do today!
Amen to that Brother. I’m sitting here with that very thing burning in my brain and soul. Wondering where he is calling me to go and do, I can feel it, the pull for something else just haven’t figured out what it is yet.
Thank you for the transparency Jorge. I’m collecting data for a book called, “Abscent: The Struggle of the American Father” and the focus is on how fathers get locked into work and other thing, thus becoming absent in their children’s lives. This article touched on a dynamic of this problem; getting trapped into a passionless career because it pays the bills. I believe this aspect might develop into a chapter.
I have been in this very spot for the last 5 years. I grew up thinking I was called to the ministry and to pastor a church, got my education to do just that and then woke up one day looking at my career and believing that I was terrible at it. So I changed careers, learned AutoCAD in a week, and got picked up by a steel fabrication company. I believed that this must be my calling since it came really easy to me. So you can see the pattern here, worked in one career and was not good at it, thus must not be called to it. Got into another career and WAS good at it, so why don’t I feel called to it? I say all that to ask this question, what are the steps that someone takes to find ones calling especially when you don’t know what your strengths, passions, and purpose is?
Chris, I too can relate to your situation. I choose my Computer Programming degree for it’s earning potential as well. It was obvious not my calling. I’ve always had a drawing toward creativity. Never properly trained but glean from smart people at every turn. Now I have the honor of running a Creative Studio and Uncommen. It’s been a long road full of what felt like “leaps of blind faith”. But I learned about 20+ years ago to take this to God in prayer and be willing for the change I’m asking for. Be open to new careers like AutoCAD and if you are at peach about it in your Spirit then make it your mission field. Stay Uncommen!
Thank you for this post! I connected to this immediately. I too am an Accountant and have been for the past 20 years. My situation is a little different for how I chose this field. I was always great in math growing up and one day an 8th grade substitute teacher, who had with us for a little while, told me that I would be an Accountant and gave me a CPA exam review book before his time was up. After that moment I never gave a second thought about what career I would choose. Even though, it was the “backup plan” in my mind …haha. As the first was to be an NBA player. (Not worrying about only being 5’9” and a late bloomer with not even sniff from a college.) Had my priorities in order as you can see..haa. Only gave up on it after I was not able to walk on at my college after trying out year after year. Anyway, I accepted that it was not my path and into the world of accounting I went. I too was in a place after many years into my career realizing I had no passion for it. The thing I was most passionate about always went back to basketball. I lived and breathed basketball and still do to this day. I beat myself up mentally for years thinking how could this happen or even asking God how could He let this happen(this career being planted in my head as a 14 yr old kid) However, not only until this year have I come to grips with accounting not being an accident and understanding that “God causes all things to work together for the good for them that love him and are called according to his purpose.” A seed was planted at that time. My life was planned out even before I was in my mothers womb. God could have very well put that substitute teacher in my path to plant a seed at the appropriate time(which is what I believe). So now, here we are present day with my passion still being in basketball, how do I make this work? As I don’t have the clear cut answer, I believe that I must follow the light, so to speak. Even if it is not shining bright and giving me clear direction, it is all the light that I can see at this point. So, I keep moving towards it. I have this pretty good background in accounting but maybe need to utilize it in some way to break into an industry that involves basketball. Which is where I am at this very moment. Due to a sudden shift in our lives with my wife’s career, I chose to resign from my company to relocate and am now given this “opportunity” to “follow the light” and seek out God’s plan with a different mindset and attitude. I am on a new journey but I’m expecting God to show up and for the light to shine brighter and brighter as I follow Him. God Bless!!
I have been so very Blessed that I have been able to stay employed doing what I love Office Services for 30 years now. I was inspired by watching a Movie with Martin Lawrence and just saw myself in that role and thinking I could make that position of a Mailroom Clerk more valuable and I could be as well liked and needed.
I have had up’s and down and yes laid off a couple of times. I had one job that was outside of my chosen career path and that failed miserably (ordering zippers and buttons for a fashion house) . That was such a mistake as I did not pray on that job I took it just to pay the bills. Lesson learned there do the thing you LOVE you can tolerate a lot more when you get joy from your work.
I left NY and came to VA and I made sure that I stayed in my chosen field and made sure to pray on it and keep the Lord planted in front of me as my Family was counting on me. I can happily say this Mailroom Clerk is now an OFFICE MANAGER. It has been a long journey but I have the my dream job in what is now my Dream State, in my Dream House and 2 Dream Cars and I found most of all CHURCH that has helped me stay focused, grounded and humbled.
Gentlemen Pray, Pray and then Pray and stick with it let God Glory be reflected in your chosen Career Path. He will not let you fail if you fail not to pray and trust him.
I left my job a little over a year ago to pursue being a children’s book author and start my 501c3. I was also working a job that I was not connected to. I was there just to support my family. It got to the point where I didn’t want to work there any longer. So I started to pray and ask God to show me the way. From there I just stepped out on faith of course with the blessing from my wife lol. It hasn’t been easy but we’ve managed to still pay the bills and provide for our family of 5. Make a plan and take action.