Take This Job and Love It Uzorak

DAY FIVE

Maybe you’re not doing what you have always wanted to do to pay the bills.  But, that doesn’t keep you from making a difference in the world, even better, in God’s Kingdom.  There are twenty-four hours in a day, not just eight.  We can still chase the dreams of our heart and achieve incredible things for good... for God. 

I find solace knowing that many of the greatest contributors throughout history actually had real jobs while they pursued their passion. 

CS Lewis—my favorite Christian apologist—worked for decades as a professor before his books became known the world over.  Today, he is revered as one of the greatest writers to ever live.  Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner stocked shelves in a grocery store for a period of time before being given a chance to try out for an arena football team. This eventually led him to an NFL tryout, which led him to be awarded the MVP of the league and Super Bowl.  And these are just two of millions of examples of people who pressed on.   

Talk about pressing on.  Think about Harriet Tubman, who worked her entire life as a slave.  But she never lost sight of her dream:  Freedom.  By the grace of God, she escaped from slavery to become the most well-known of all the Underground Railroad’s “conductors”.  She alone was responsible for leading 300 slaves to freedom.  She was also the first woman to lead an armed expedition in the Civil War which liberated more the 700 enslaved people.  What a life she lived!  What a difference in God’s Kingdom she made! 

And think about the Apostle Paul, author of nearly a third of the New Testament.  Paul lived, worked, and suffered for the Lord like nobody else.  I'm sure it would have been easy for Paul to ask for an offering each and every time he preached the Gospel around the known world.  I bet he could have taken in some big bucks, seeing the life-changing power behind his message.  

But Paul refused to accept money in this way.  Instead, he worked as a tentmaker for his pay, preaching the good news of Jesus to anybody who would listen to him as he traveled thousands of miles.  And it wasn't easy by any means.  During his travels, he was robbed, beaten countless times, stoned, suffered shipwreck, imprisoned, and eventually martyred.  All in the name of Jesus!