People who are good at what they do are usually passionate about the subject. It does not matter what vocation one chooses; people who excel are focused, intense, and wrestle with a drive of excellence at the expense of all else. The consistency across various professions is so similar it can be unnerving. The examples I know personally include artists, lawyers, bankers, carpenters, teachers, body men, and landscape workers. Excellence and passion are always tightly linked.
The price of this linkage is often paid without a second thought. I find in the reality of how my priorities play out that I spend less time with my family than I would like, fight for life balance, and often loose sight of what I value most; God. It is too easy to float along with the currents of commitment, perfection, and winning. I hesitate to suggest that winning and excellence are not important, they clearly are. I am reluctant to accuse anyone of not wanting to be the best at what they do.
I am profoundly grateful for the gifts that people who are good at their vocations give to others. The gifts of paintings and other works of art are often for me clear God statements. Writers are able to penetrate my defenses in ways that gently allow the Presence to get on with the task at hand, changing me from the inside out! The list is endless; chefs that express just how much God cared about giving us pleasure, bankers who are able to make the mechanics of life and human interaction work smoothly, and lawyers who know how to protect two parties from trying to kill the other to name just a few.
As the intensity of a new job washes over me I am struck by Solomon’s wisdom.
“Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money, and God-knowledge over a lucrative career.” (Proverbs 8.10)
I prefer. But, am I willing to commit and pursue God above all else? Each of us faces this question each morning. For me the answer is unconditional.
Yes God, yes.
