First Thoughts


The last article I wrote was a little controversial, especially in the audience of the American church. 
I felt there should be a follow up with some of the more apparent oppositions or hesitations that the article was met with.

First and foremost, I should make this clarification.  When I said that you may need to quit your job, I didn’t necessarily mean that you had to stop working.  It’s more intended towards the people that are career driven instead of Kingdom driven.  Those that are trying to climb up the ladder, trying to obtain the American Dream instead of the Kingdom of God. 

The way God built this in me was that when I originally thought about quitting my job, I thought I was just going to get another one that was “christian based”.  Then all of the sudden the Lord changed directions on me and told me never to enter the “career world mindset” again.  All of the sudden, I was completely content on sacking groceries, flipping burgers, or being a janitor.  My identity no longer came from my job or career, it was that I was a Kingdom servant ready to make my life as liquid as possible so I could do what Jesus wanted me to do at the drop of the dime.

With that being said, on to some specific objections:

-It’s Not My Calling:
  The complete premise of this site is to awaken all believers that we are all called to follow after Jesus with all of our energy.  I personally believe there isn’t a call to live for the world and for God.  It’s one or the otherHint: One way to find out which world you’re living for - look at where your money goes. Is it more invested in the things of this world – cars, houses, toys, etc – than the things of God?   Your heart is where your treasure is…if all your treasures are here in this earth, your heart resides there and will die with it.  Also, your heart is where you expend most of your energy…do you spend more energy on the matters of the Kingdom, or the matters of this world?
 

-You May Quit Your Job, But You’ll Just Rely On Other People And Their Jobs:
    It’s thought that if you stop working at your job/career that you’ll automatically start to mooch and suck off of other people that actually DO have jobs.  You’re not supposed to stop working and start living off of charity.  You’re supposed to start living off of faith, truly living within the premise of Matthew 6:33.  You may not be able to drop everything and run now, but you can certainly walk towards that and begin to greatly reduce your need for income by getting rid of the materialism fat that sits around us all.
    Some people with jobs will give you things.  It’s just what happens.  But our hope and faith doesn’t rest on those things.  We trust in the one that can multiply the loaves of bread and get money out of a fish’s mouth.  Our provision isn’t based on our income or the income of those around us.

-If I Leave My Job, Who Will Witness To My Coworkers?
    Actually, you leaving your job/career will give you more of an opportunity to witness and share the true gospel (freedom from the ways of this world – including financially) to your coworkers than you just being a bump on a log waiting and hoping for someone to ask you “What makes you different?” (Which, rarely happens.).
    You quitting your job and telling your family, friends, and coworkers what you’re doing will open up a complete field of gospel opportunity.  This is how it will happen:

“Why are you quitting your job?”
YOUR RESPONSE: I realized I was living and spending most of my time on a world that was broken and headed for a dead end.  All the things I’ve been working for is a false sense of security.  Jesus said, if we seek first His Kingdom everything we will need will be provided for us.  He’s offered me an eternal Kingdom that is not subject to the ways of this world.  I’d rather live for that.

“But, how will you pay for —–”
YOUR RESPONSE: Jesus told us to trust in our Father in heaven for the things we need.  I am trusting Him and I’m walking in faith that He will uphold His word. 

    Do you see that?  You’re not just giving them the run of the mill “Jesus loves you” speech.  Your actually, in real life, by your actions, preaching to them the gospel…which is “Repent, trade your ways for God’s ways because His ways are better.  And guess what? The Kingdom, God’s way of doing things, is here right now, available to us on this earth if we turn to Him.  That’s what I’m doing”
    And then they are completely captivated by your boldness and craziness to actually BELIEVE what Jesus said. 
    You want an opportunity to share the gospel with your coworkers?  Tell them you’re quitting to become a missionary….there’s your door.  You won’t believe the way they will open up and give you ways to tell them about the love of Jesus!

    And if that doesn’t work, maybe one of those street preachers will be able to share the gospel with them when they get gas before they go to work :-).
Your coworkers aren’t an excuse to not serve Jesus with your entire life.  If you’ve done your job and shared the gospel with them in honesty and they haven’t turned to God, it’s time to dust off your shoes and go to the next harvest field.

-How Are You Going To Feed the poor without money?
   The same way Jesus did.  He and the disciple’s clearly didn’t have enough money to buy food for the 5000+ people.  What did He do?  He blessed what He had, and expected His Father in heaven, who is rich beyond anything this world can offer, to fulfill the need.  We don’t need money people!!!! We need faith.  To take what we do have to the world and trust that our Father will meet what we have in the natural and make it SUPERnatural.

    Doesn’t that sound a lot more fun than the mundane, day in day out, 8-5? 

 READ PART 1 HERE

[TAGS]quit my job,Jesus,ministry,street preaching,witnessing,evangelism,gospel,preacher,christian,christianity[/TAGS]

    The question is bound to come up for any believer (hopefully).  In order to fulfill my calling in Jesus, do I need to quit my full time job?

As controversial as it is, I still don’t back down from my statement on my front page, that there is no such thing as a part-time christian.  I believe every follower of Jesus is supposed to serve Him full time.

With that being said, I believe we are all in a process of becoming who we are called to be in Christ.  One person may be at one point on their path while another somewhere else.  So it’s not appropriate to force where you are in your path on other people.  I often tell people that I wasn’t in a position to do what I’m doing now a year and a half ago, it’s all been a process.

So, in that light, read this as motivation and an encouragement to live FULLY for Jesus.

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