Should I Quit My Job if I’m Not Passionate about It?
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By Kate Stevens, Crosswalk.com
C.S. Lewis wrote The Screwtape Letters in 1942. The book’s namesake is a senior demon instructing a lesser demon in how to tempt his patient (a recent Christian convert) away from the Enemy (God) and towards darkness.
“Of course I know that the Enemy also wants to detach men from themselves, but in a different way. Remember always, that He really likes the little vermin, and sets an absurd value on the distinctness of every one of them. When He talks of their losing their selves, He only means abandoning the clamour of self-will; once they have done that, He really gives them back all their personality, and boasts (I am afraid, sincerely) that when they are wholly His they will be more themselves than ever. Hence, while He is delighted to see them sacrificing even their innocent wills to His, He hates to see them drifting away from their own nature for any other reason.”
Well, Screwtape isn’t wrong about God. He does like man (Zephaniah 3:17). He did create us distinct from one another (Psalm 139). And He does call us to lose our lives in order to find them (Matthew 16:25).
Anytime we are talking about our earthly passions, we must pause. Passions necessitate intense feeling and desire, both of which point towards being full of the self. We are certainly born with predispositions towards a host of interests. We have natural gifts and abilities that drive those interests and pursuits. But whenever we adopt this word to mean something we care deeply about, we need to check the source of the standard. Passionate because it yields a high profit? Passionate because of its nostalgia? Passionate because it solves a problem? Because it’s highly admirable? Because it has a smooth road?
The core of this question points toward the heart, the seat of passion, desire, care, and motivation. One major human aspect that flows from the heart is emotion. We know our emotions reveal what we value, but they do not tell the truth. So, is a loss of passion in your work sufficient for quitting? No, it’s not.
Passion isn’t enough reason to start or stop doing something. Abraham was very passionate about his son, Isaac, for whom he waited a very long time. Isaac was promised and then fulfilled, so imagine the confusion when God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22). Moses lacked passion in leading God’s people, yet God made it abundantly clear what he was to do (Exodus 3). When we let intense feelings decide our movement, we can quickly find outcomes much less desirable than we had hoped. In Scripture, we can reflect and then look around to gain some footing, however.
Reflection
Yes, we are called to deny ourselves (Matthew 16:24). Yes, we are called to die; when a grain of wheat falls into the earth, it later bears much fruit (John 12:24). But we are also instructed in how to reflect. Introspection is not bad. We are told in many places to “consider”—another way of saying “evaluate yourself.” God’s people reflected on their lives every time they came to the temple to bring a sacrifice. It is not sinful to question your life, including your career.
Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. Haggai 1:5-6
Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? Proverbs 6:6-9
Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! Luke 12:24
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25
But when we are instructed to reflect, it is not solely for our sake. Haggai instructs Israel, and King Solomon calls out the sluggard to consider their ways because they are self-focused. Jesus wants listeners to think about God’s care for man, and the Hebrews author wants us to spur on those in our church community. We are not evaluating life so that we can make it perfect, completely individualized to our whims and tastes. We are looking inward so that we can glorify God upward and encourage others around us.
Again, examine the standard you are using—this is where you can lose your life or find it. Does your reflection simply let culture set the standard for meaningful, passionate work? Or are you setting your self-will aside as you consider God’s will for your life? This is not easy! We live in an age of endless options, and the associated mantra is to keep trying everything on until you are satisfied. But we know that living according to the flesh results in death (Romans 8), meaning you never forfeited your life in the first place. This is where our doctrine walks in practice. If we “abandon the clamour of self-will” as Lewis says, then this includes all matters of our spirit and body.
God’s Will
In Kevin DeYoung’s book “Just Do Something,” he argues that we overcomplicate God’s will. We look for signs and perfect harmony before we act, even in the most nuanced ways. And he’s right. Consider these scriptures on God’s will:
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8
In these 3 passages, God is calling man out of himself, to lose himself, to die to himself. Abstaining from anything at all is an act of emptying, like with sexual impurity. Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks in all circumstances means taking the focus off whatever is around and turning it back towards God. Justice, kindness, and humility are all outward focuses and requirements that the Lord labels as good.
Matthew 6:33 brings it all together: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” This is the standard we pursue above all—it sets aside our self-will, recognizes God as supreme, and has built-in blessings for man as a result. Culture tells us to be ambitious and grab for our wants, hopes, and dreams. God’s economy tells us to be great, but the road is one of service (Matthew 20). God created the world with one reality in view, and obedience is the only way to live a worthy life, to make worthy decisions.
A Christian Grid for Work
We still need handles for when a Christian should make a job change. Here is a framework of questions to consider when evaluating your job.
Did you lose/lack interest because it is hard work?
Work is not a result of the Fall; hard work is a result of the Fall (Genesis 3). This does not mean we are to pursue the hardest, most demanding careers as Christians. It does mean we should expect a certain caliber of effort and outcome.
What is the main rub?
Honestly, what’s going on? Is there a shadow or cloud in some area of life, so work has become a stronghold—only now that is slipping? Is there a deficiency you are trying to make up for? Are you looking for an identity that isn’t panning out? Maybe you’re just bored and not engaged enough?
Who can help with this?
Don’t make a decision about your career in isolation. Get input from an older, wiser saint who knows you. Have them ask you these questions and pray together for God’s direction.
Think, are you good at the job? Does it provide for your needs? Is there an opportunity for something else already available?
The practical side of work is always a factor to consider.
Bottom line—seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Then reflect on your job in light of emptying yourself, for that is when you will be yourself most fully.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Maskot
Kate Stevens is a worshiper, wife, and mom, and with the help of the Lord, that is her hierarchy of work. Beyond this, she works with the youth and children at her church and edits as a freelancer. She enjoys reading, writing, running, cooking, and practicing thinking pure and lovely things.
After being unsure if they ever wanted children, the Lord eventually blessed Kate and her husband Clint after nearly three years of waiting. They welcomed their first daughter in 2011, another daughter in 2013, and yet another daughter in 2016. Kate considers this her most time-consuming, emotion-full, sanctifying, not always pretty but trusting in the Lord’s plan, and blessed work. Stuck in a house with four females, her husband Clint consistently reminds Kate of her identity and union in Christ.
You can read more of Kate's work here.
