A friend of mine posted a question on Facebook: “Would you rather do what you love and barely make ends meet or do what you tolerate for abundance?”
Good question. I think most people would say they would rather do what they love. After all, who wants to be chained to a mundane job day after day for forty years if they had a chance to do what they love?
The problem is, I think people view the whole “do what you love and be poor” idea with rose-tinted glasses. Sure, they would live in a smaller house and drive a cheaper car if they could just do what they wanted. However, sometimes being poor doesn’t mean having less, it means not having at all.
Dan and I are both currently doing what we love and what we believe we have been called to do. Dan is a pastor and I am a writer. We wouldn’t trade what we do for the world. But love for our work is not always enough to sustain us:
-When medical bills come in.
-When your doctor says you need a procedure done and the insurance doesn’t cover it.
-When a family member is facing death and you can’t go to be with them because you can’t afford the plane ticket.
-When the car breaks down and you don’t know how you’re going to fix it.
-When you wonder how you’re going to feed your family.
The reality is there are times when you get tired of scraping by and wondering how you are going to provide for your family every month. Sometimes the stress out weighs the love. That’s when love is not enough to sustain you.
So how do we do it?
Honestly? I cry. I pray. And God meets me where I am. He has always taken care of us. We have never went hungry, never went without a roof over our heads. Each and every need He has provided for. And I have learned to be content with what I have in the process.
Love alone doesn’t keep us going. I’m not sure if it could keep anyone going in the long run. But doing what we love and placing our love in God’s hands, trusting Him to take care of us, that is what helps us during the rough patches.
How about you? Would you rather do what you love or be secure financially even if that meant doing something you don’t necessarily enjoy?
Morgan L. Busse 
I love this article. I would rather do something I love.
Morgan, your comment that God meets us where we are blesses me. It’s too easy at times to forget that. His word says he will give us the desires of our heart–the things we love doing, The key, as you write, is to place ourselves in his hands and trust him.
For several years, I worked a job I enjoyed but it wasn’t my first love. Writing was and is. My job was a blessing in that I was working in ministry. Now, I write full time and love it. Losing money on it but money isn’t important. Following the dream he gave me is.
Thank you for the reminder and the encouragement.
Glad I could encourage you today, Henry 🙂
For me, the important thing is being able to take care of those whom I love. ‘What’ I love has faded to a vanishing point; it no longer makes a difference.
With money, there’s security, and the chance to provide for those less fortunate. My own desires and avocations count for nothing against that.
And, in the end, we can learn to see the good in what we’re doing, learn to make the positive connections.
So true. There comes a point where, for the sake of your family, you must put aside what you love so you can take care of them. I gave up writing a couple years ago to work full time when my husband was unemployed. And this year I had to take on a part time job to help make ends meet.
Even in ministry, there are times when the finances are simply not there. Those are the hardest decisions to make because in many ways, you don’t just love ministry, but there is a calling as well. So do you stick it out, or do you take care of your family? When do the needs of the family outweigh the needs of the ministry? Not an easy answer, and one that must be sought in much prayer. This I can say from experience.
Definitely do something I love … ! But I agree with you, no matter what job you’ve got, and no matter what your life is like (good or bad), you’ve got to have God to make it complete. Love of what we do is just not enough. Great post 🙂
Too many people give up their calling or dream – what they are meant to be – to chase after security (real or mythical as it may be). Yes, we have to take care of our families, but when does that become an excuse rather than a reason? We can do both, not that it is always easy, but we can. It sounds like you found how to do it by putting God at the center.
This is a great article. You put into perspective something that many of us idealize but have never experienced. I left my career three years ago to be a stay-at-home mom. God blessed my obedience and our life has worked without much struggle because my husband has a well paying job.
My heart aches for yours reading about your struggle. There are many seasons to life, and it sounds as if you are moving from one season into another. May He richly bless your obedience and grant you the desires of your heart. Know that I will be praying for you.
Thank you, Lisa. Your words mean a lot to me 🙂