Because it's (not) all about the money

I was recently reading an article on CNN about what college you ought to attend to get the best "value" for your money. My immediate reaction was well, just because you get a high-paying job after college doesn't necessarily mean that you got the best "value" for your money. I think there's more to learning and becoming an adult than simply checking off the boxes so that you can make money and progress in your career, land that dream job so that you can make more money, and keep on going until you're set for life.

There's value to learning to work harder than you've ever worked before. Those late night cups of coffee, 5 o'clock alarms to get essays finished, and philosophical discussions with friends all shape who you become. For me at least, there were multi-page essays written in a panic and written with the stated acknowledgment of God, I need inspiration. I can't write this by myself. Writing obituaries for our student newspaper was so hard. It was so sad to read about these people, their lives, and to know that they were gone. Gone just like that, with no hope for eternity. I hated writing obituaries because the finality of these deaths all weighed so heavily on my heart. All of this - the work, the stress, the realization that death is so real, and for some people, so utterly lacking in hope - was hard, but looking back now, it was so worth it. It pushed me to lean more on God because I realized that there was no way I was going to get through it by myself.

If we listen closely to the message that is projected at us each day, we hear the subtle, yet not so subtle message that it's the fame, the money, and the prestige that define success. (To be fair, there are the heroes that are lauded in the feel-good stories every once in a while.) For the most part, attention is given to those who hold power or a certain level of notoriety.

Yet, what are we called to do? To look beyond the distractions of a crazy and broken world and follow the call that has been placed on our lives. To follow Christ. To live according to His will. And when we look up from a dizzying world we realize that it's not all about the money. It's not all about the fame or the power. And at the end of the marathon, hearing the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant" will be worth far more than any trinkets we have accumulated here.

So as I move on from one job to another, here's a reminder to myself - it's not about the money, about a career, or about getting ahead. It's about living each day in His will.