Professional career from a Christian point of view
 

I have a question which I have started thinking about recently, mainly because I have been influenced by my extended family.

My aunt studied medicine but abandoned her career in order to become a nun. She used always to advise me that studying and working or trying to succeed in a field are not important and what matters is God and out belief. She also told me that my purpose of life should be either to create a family or dedicate my life to Lord (become a nun). I know from the Bible that Jesus urged His students to leave everything, including their families to follow Him. Is it what Jesus Christ wants from us now? What I mean is, isn't it possible for a person to study and have a successful career and at the same time worship God and be close to the Church? Should we try to find a simple path for our lives instead of trying the best for our professions? I am 25 years old and I feel I want to do things regarding my professional development, on the other hand I am thinking deep inside that maybe my aunt is right and all these are pointless and I should just try for the basics.


What do you think about that?

Eleni,

I took my graduate degree in Counseling Psychology and worked for more than 20 years in that field. During much of that time I was also a clergyman (first deacon, later priest). Much of what I experienced in my "secular career" provided valuable experience and skills that I have brought into my priestly ministry. I was also able to practice as a psychological counselor by bringing into my studies and counseling the richness of my faith in Christ.

It is not wrong to pursue a career in the world. Perhaps there will come a time when God will bring you to a monastery and it will be time to take on that life, however, until that time, you still must live and eat and cloth yourself and have shelter. For that you need some way of bringing in income. A career is one of the means by which God provides for us to do this. God has given you the chance to study and to enter into a secular career. The most important thing is never to forget that all that you do must be done to glory of God. So in your career, with the people that you meet, in everything that you do - glorify God. If and when God calls you into marriage, then marry and raise a family (that does not preclude a career, btw). If and when God calls you into monastic life, then enter the monastery and deal with your career according to the instructions of your abbess and/or spiritual father. In the meantime continue to follow the path that God has set before you.

Fr David Moser

Thank you very much for your reply Father. It helped me a lot to understand the concept of the career and that it cannot be an obstacle in glorifying God.

May God give you health.

This question made me think of those saints who combined a career with service to God, such as St Luke of Simferopol (+1961) who was a distinguished surgeon and a bishop.

Eleni, God works through doctors and other professional people - perhaps even through lawyers and solicitors.....................................http://www.monachos.net/forum/images/smilies/smile.png

Get your degree, and if you are meant to be a nun and devote your life to God, He will show you the way. There are many ways to serve God.

Don't listen to others, no matter if they are close relatives. Pray, and listen to your inner voice.

Euterpe

Oh, thank you, Effie!

Eleni , I also understand from my own studies that "works of Love and Service" are also a form of Prayer.

Thank you all for your replies. I know that studies and work can be combined with prayers and I believe that people who have studied may be more able sometimes to read and understand religious books than people who did not study anything. However, my question was not very clear, as I have graduated and I can find a job and just work on my field, even though I don't know if it is what I want. I would like to extend my studies with a master and a PhD, as I like studying... This is why I think that maybe it is not what I should do in my life and maybe all this studying is not that useful for my soul... Sometimes I feel uncertainty deep inside as I have thoughts which I don't know if they come from God or not. It's what some people say "Follow your instinct". I believe that this instinct comes from God, so I hope that through prayer I will find my way, as Father David advised me.

Dear Eleni

Do you have a spiritual father? In such moments the best we can do is to ask God to reveal us His Will through our elder; pray, keep fast for some days - you can take advantage of this fasting period; but you should be prepare to receive whatever he says. if you feel that you are not ready to do so, than wait and keep praying and go on with what comfort your soul for the time being. as a general rule, any kind of thought that is not bringing inner peace is not from God