Giving up money to have what matters

Ecclesiastes 2:22-26

'What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity. There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?'

The protestant work ethic influences so much of our society. Sayings like; “the early bird gets the worm,” “work hard, play hard,” and “no pain, no gain,” demonstrate our value of working hard. Our hard work is often rewarded with promotion, higher pay and/or praise. This drive to work hard creates successful entrepreneurs and innovation but often at a cost.

The writer of Ecclesiastes observes the reality that people often work really hard but that hard work is often empty. Overworking causes strain on a marriage, on family and is often harmful to one’s own health. I have and do experience the damage that overworking causes in my own life. Finding the right balance of work and play is hard but it is an important goal to have.

A few weeks ago I was encouraged by conversations with two separate guys who have shaped their lives so that they don’t overwork and they are able to keep their priorities in the right order.

One of these guys is an engineer. He was working for an engineering firm, making good money, growing in the company, but he was not happy with the amount of time he was able to give to family and ministry travel. He asked his firm if he could work less hours for less pay but the firm wouldn’t accept those terms. So, this gentleman started his own engineering firm. Most people start their own business to make more money but instead he started his own firm so that he could work at the pace that allowed him to spend quality time with his family and to travel for missions. He makes plenty of money to live comfortably and isn’t chasing more money and more stuff.

The other guy I spoke with is a nurse practitioner. He was working for a doctor’s office and was very successful. His schedule was always full of patients but he decided to scale back his hours so that he could coach a sport. It cost him potential earnings to invest in kids as he coached. He then felt called to serve in ministry more and more at his church so he reduced his hours at the doctor’s office even more. Then he was able to partner with a past colleague to work as a physician only one day a week so that he can work full time in ministry. He is leaving a lot of potential earnings behind to do things that are more valuable than money.

It was in the same week that I spoke with these two guys; I feel like God was showing me their lives to encourage me. There are people out there who are giving up wealth and career advancement in order to give priority to family and ministry. Both of these guys have parents or in-laws who are examples to them. I’m inspired by their courage to create work situations that are not the norm. I’m inspired by their open handedness and availability to serve when opportunities come their way. I’m challenged by their intentionality to spend time with their children and include them in their passions.

There is always toil (hard work) to be done. May we prioritize our families over our work. May we structure our work in such a way that it enhances and/or allows us to do the ministry God has given us. May we have eyes to see the hard work that is from God for each of us and may we enjoy everything that comes from the hand of God.