discuss: christians excelling in their field
After two questions that were definitely a bit deeper, let’s try something that should be a bit simpler.
I’ve heard before that Christians should be making the best music, the best art, the best sales reports, the best marketing schemes. The idea is that if we have the biggest creative genius that created everything we do as well as the body that allows us to do it on our side, then we should be unstoppable.
But there’s a flip side. I went into the city of Melbourne to look for dessert, and I ended up at Max Brenner Chocolates in Melbourne Central, a huge shopping mall in the heart of the city. I read the menu while I waited to order what turned out to be a fantastic dessert in a place where I was surrounded by fabulous design. Even if you go to the web site, you’ll see some of the stuff that I read. Philosophy and culture of chocolate. One man’s obsession and love for chocolate.
I really got a weird vibe from the place. Everything about that place screamed excellence, and it was because this guy, if the literature is true, has devoted his life to making the best chocolate. Would a Christian do that? No; he or she would spend the extra hour in the prayer room instead of the kitchen, at church instead of the shop. Making the best chocolate in the world might not be as important because the Christian isn’t defined by something worldly.
At least that’s the opposite line of thinking. With all this in mind…
The question:
Ideally, should the Christian be the best in their field because God is on his or her side, or should the non-believer be the best because he is defining himself and devoting his life to his work?
June 30th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
If this was a God of the temporal world, then yes, Christians should be the best in their respective fields. But of course, God’s grace is sufficient for everybody, no matter how skilled/strong/rich they are. Christians do not need to be the best employees of the secular world.
But, of course, if I take this position, then I must be dismissing my accomplishments so far in my educational career. So I might propose that this question is like the one about money: it’s okay to be the best musician/artist, but it could be tempting to be focused away from Jesus.