I met my husband at a Christian college and he was lucky enough to have a professor tell him that just because he was passionate about God, that didn’t mean he had to be in vocational ministry (the Christian version of the American dream).
My husband switched his major from Bible studies to exercise science, which he enjoyed but ended up not being in that field either. He now co-owns a tree company with my brother in law (who quit his big successful corporate job) and they are thriving. The company not only provides well for my sister and I’s families, but also for my parents who now work for the company, and two young men who are learning the trade. We are by no means rich with money but we do well enough in that regard and are rich with the gift of time and flexibility (which in a season of toddlers and babies, is priceless).
My husband and brother in law spend all day with their employees, not only teaching them a valuable trade, but talking real life and theology constantly, and often bringing them home for dinner and more life-on-life chats. I’ve come to believe discipleship happens much more naturally and effectively in an environment like this, than in once-a-week coffee shop meetings.
They have also become a trusted presence in their community, and have had countless opportunities to serve and befriend and witness to unbelievers.
This is not at all to brag on them. They’d be the first to say the Lord has truly blessed this company and gifted us with an incredible opportunity. Just wanted to add our story to this movement towards finding what “the good life” really looks like.
If you would have told me I’d “just” be a stay at home mom and live in a rental house that’s “too small” and spend 90% of my time cooking and cleaning -LOL!! But it turns out I am often undone by the meaning and joy in my little life.
Praise God, he gave us the life we never knew to dream of.
Wow praise the Lord. I absolutely love this kind of story. If you were ever up for writing it up, I’d love to share this kind of story for the remarkable ordinary. Thanks so much for sharing Anna!
Love this so much. I have am also currently “just” a stay at home mom in a rental that is “too small” and spend most of my time cooking and cleaning. It was a road to walk to find contentment and real joy outside of the way success seems to be presented to us constantly from a young age. But there has been such beauty in laying that stuff down and being present in our ordinary life. Loved your story. Thanks for sharing.
This is such a needed balm in a culture obsessed with proving worth through outcomes. It reminds me that grace doesn’t calculate value based on productivity. Sometimes just showing up, faithfully and quietly, is the most radical thing we can do. And if the ordinary is where heaven likes to hide, then maybe the best thing we can offer the world is not our success story, but our steady presence. Thank you for putting words to that.
Arguments for or against meritocracy aside, you’ve uncovered the radiant truth of the Incarnation, that God did not come draped in accolades, but swaddled in obscurity. The Word became flesh not in the palaces of potential but in the dust of daily life, dignifying the ordinary with divine presence.
We forget that Jesus spent far more time hammering nails than delivering sermons. That God still moves through the hands of janitors and nurses, baristas and bus drivers, just as surely as He does through preachers or kings.
In a world obsessed with climbing, thanks for the reminder that the ladder was always meant to be laid down, like a cross.
I learned so much reading this. Like, I had no idea the poor were “dechurching” so much 💔 (though it makes sense 😔. Every church I’ve ever been to carries a social expectation of financial contribution - and I don’t mean just tithing. It’s all the random stuff you have to show up with to be able to participate in fellowship. Often including things like opening your home and feeding people regularly if you really want to thrive in a church. People who don’t struggle financially don’t seem to think about how out of reach this can be for ppl who do. 100% could see the poorer among us simply give up and decide this place isn’t for them 😔)
Def gonna save this to read more than once. Thank you for sharing your thoughtfulness and research with us!!
A few months ago I went to my first church conference in over a decade since coming back to Him.
People kept turning to me and asking me with those serious spiritual faces on “So, Christina, what’s your ministry?” Probably because I, you know, had brushed my hair that day.
I said “Weeeelll… see I don’t really have one, I’m a bit more what they call ornamental, ya know, decorative…” 😂 you can imagine that went down well… 😇
Great thoughts about the breadth of Christian vocation, but on ‘meritocracy’ I’d suggest a few things:
• It could never have been the case that anyone truly thought that mere hard work could bring success. Moving a big pile of rocks back and forth on barren scrub land is some of the hardest work of all, but no one views this as productive in any way.
• Instead these same survey respondents would surely say that hard work in pursuit of a worthy goal brings success.
• Ah, but which goals are worthy, and for which people? Some jobs require that real God-given talent be brought to the task. Here a lot of hard work is wasted on genuinely unrealistic career outcomes.
• That people tend to rise further with such special gifts, than those without is not an affront to meritocracy. Meritocracy, strictly speaking, means you give the job to the one who can do it best, not to a mediocrity who happens to be your nephew or someone of a favored race or ethnic group.
• And that people with substantial merit do not always rise under meritocratic conditions is also not any threat to meritocracy as a theory, for their merit and hard work are hardly the only determining factors. Maybe they’re in bed sick the morning of the important recital. Maybe they crash their car.
Solomon: “I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11)
Great points! In condensing 8,000 words out of this paper, there were definitely some more nuanced aspects of meritocracy that had to get cut. But I appreciate the comment!
The stats you included are fascinating. I grew up as a very high achiever and thought I’d go pretty far in life ;) however, I was given severe chronic health issues that makes full time work nearly impossible. We moved out of our expensive dream home near Phoenix and bought a much more affordable home closer to family. Now we have more support and own our house outright. Despite it not being a “dream home,” we have less stress and can live on one income. I’m hoping to stay at home if I’m blessed with children and you cannot put a price on that either. God has taught me so much of what really matters from years of chronic illness.
Jodi, I’m struck so much by the similarity of our stories! I was also on a high achieving academic path, when in graduate school I became chronically ill. I also have had to leave behind work and career goals. We also have made certain choices to be able to live on one income and have a smaller home than some of our friends. Yet, I’m often amazed by God’s startling grace in giving me so much purpose, joy, and meaning in life. You’re exactly right when you say that God teaches us about what “really matters”. In some ways, illness has made me free to see what is truly important in life and to be free to see my dignity apart from my own achievements.
Some time ago, I had the opportunity to talk about success according to the Bible with the young people at my local church. Based on Joshua 1, I shared this definition:
Success is fulfilling God’s calling for my life by obeying His Word, trusting in His promises, and enjoying His presence and blessing in everything I do.
Your article confirms to me that success according to the world and success according to the Bible are two very different things. Let’s choose success God’s way.
Thank you for this. Anecdotally, a retired nurse called into radio 'call-in' program that I heard yesterday. She explained how the same system which she served for 40 years had (IMO) abandoned her. She required medical attention but had to jump through all sorts of gatekeeping hoops to get it. She said with audible distress that this whole ethic of self-help & being your own best advocate in the medical profession was a relatively new thing. And it was never an attitude which had formed her as a nurse. She'd been taught to simply help sick people - not to expect the sick to come in as their own best doctors. It struck me as a miserable case of misplaced meritocracy. Sick person heal thyself.
As always, excellent work. If you're looking for a soundtrack of these ideas, Andy Squyres is a master at walking in this tension of being Jesus people living in a world that demands performance and hustle.
Most excellent, indeed. I had a blog once called, "Pondering Providence". It's only purpose was to address this very issue. I continue to struggle daily with why some people who are immensely gifted, talented, trained, schooled, what-have-you, continue to struggle with getting by or just even being seen as needed, especially in the church. My (rhetorical) question is why are we put in situations that seem futile, pay at poverty level, and offer zero reward and very little satisfaction, if any at all even when we work our asses off? Sorry to be a negative Nancy. I don't reside in that state for more than a few minutes at a time because that state is like having your soul sucked out by Potter's Dementor. At times, I must force myself to be content and grateful that my husband and I even have a job, and even having steady employment is not normal, if compared to the entire world. We are definitely in a season of wasted gifting and training. Each of us has tried to "break out" for several years by applying for other work that seems to better fit our skillsets. But for some bloody reason, this is the way it's supposed to be. Because Providence. It's scary, I tell you. We're both at that age where we won't be considered "hireable" any longer. And that just sucks. Geez. I'm too old to use that word.
This was outstanding. Growing up, I was always fascinated by how reputation changed reality. One kid tells a joke and the rest of the class laughs, while another kid tells a similar joke and the rest of the class groans. Normally, the difference was in social reputation (good family vs poor family; Hot girl vs plain girl; etc). Thus partly why "a good name is better to be chosen." All actions are interpreted in light of your name. Changing your name through action is possible, but it takes a long time. People do not change their opinions of you, overnight.
I love this so much.
I met my husband at a Christian college and he was lucky enough to have a professor tell him that just because he was passionate about God, that didn’t mean he had to be in vocational ministry (the Christian version of the American dream).
My husband switched his major from Bible studies to exercise science, which he enjoyed but ended up not being in that field either. He now co-owns a tree company with my brother in law (who quit his big successful corporate job) and they are thriving. The company not only provides well for my sister and I’s families, but also for my parents who now work for the company, and two young men who are learning the trade. We are by no means rich with money but we do well enough in that regard and are rich with the gift of time and flexibility (which in a season of toddlers and babies, is priceless).
My husband and brother in law spend all day with their employees, not only teaching them a valuable trade, but talking real life and theology constantly, and often bringing them home for dinner and more life-on-life chats. I’ve come to believe discipleship happens much more naturally and effectively in an environment like this, than in once-a-week coffee shop meetings.
They have also become a trusted presence in their community, and have had countless opportunities to serve and befriend and witness to unbelievers.
This is not at all to brag on them. They’d be the first to say the Lord has truly blessed this company and gifted us with an incredible opportunity. Just wanted to add our story to this movement towards finding what “the good life” really looks like.
If you would have told me I’d “just” be a stay at home mom and live in a rental house that’s “too small” and spend 90% of my time cooking and cleaning -LOL!! But it turns out I am often undone by the meaning and joy in my little life.
Praise God, he gave us the life we never knew to dream of.
Wow praise the Lord. I absolutely love this kind of story. If you were ever up for writing it up, I’d love to share this kind of story for the remarkable ordinary. Thanks so much for sharing Anna!
I would love to!
Love this so much. I have am also currently “just” a stay at home mom in a rental that is “too small” and spend most of my time cooking and cleaning. It was a road to walk to find contentment and real joy outside of the way success seems to be presented to us constantly from a young age. But there has been such beauty in laying that stuff down and being present in our ordinary life. Loved your story. Thanks for sharing.
Ohhh thank you for resonating with this and adding your own story to the mix. 🥹
This is such a needed balm in a culture obsessed with proving worth through outcomes. It reminds me that grace doesn’t calculate value based on productivity. Sometimes just showing up, faithfully and quietly, is the most radical thing we can do. And if the ordinary is where heaven likes to hide, then maybe the best thing we can offer the world is not our success story, but our steady presence. Thank you for putting words to that.
Thanks so much sir!!
Arguments for or against meritocracy aside, you’ve uncovered the radiant truth of the Incarnation, that God did not come draped in accolades, but swaddled in obscurity. The Word became flesh not in the palaces of potential but in the dust of daily life, dignifying the ordinary with divine presence.
We forget that Jesus spent far more time hammering nails than delivering sermons. That God still moves through the hands of janitors and nurses, baristas and bus drivers, just as surely as He does through preachers or kings.
In a world obsessed with climbing, thanks for the reminder that the ladder was always meant to be laid down, like a cross.
Thanks so much for this comment Steve! So happy you enjoyed it!
I learned so much reading this. Like, I had no idea the poor were “dechurching” so much 💔 (though it makes sense 😔. Every church I’ve ever been to carries a social expectation of financial contribution - and I don’t mean just tithing. It’s all the random stuff you have to show up with to be able to participate in fellowship. Often including things like opening your home and feeding people regularly if you really want to thrive in a church. People who don’t struggle financially don’t seem to think about how out of reach this can be for ppl who do. 100% could see the poorer among us simply give up and decide this place isn’t for them 😔)
Def gonna save this to read more than once. Thank you for sharing your thoughtfulness and research with us!!
Wow thanks so much for the high praise Duckie!! Really appreciate you!
🥰🙏🏻
A few months ago I went to my first church conference in over a decade since coming back to Him.
People kept turning to me and asking me with those serious spiritual faces on “So, Christina, what’s your ministry?” Probably because I, you know, had brushed my hair that day.
I said “Weeeelll… see I don’t really have one, I’m a bit more what they call ornamental, ya know, decorative…” 😂 you can imagine that went down well… 😇
Oh noooo. I feel like that one of question/assumption is so common and can also be kind of defeating…sorry about that!
Eh, don’t be. Let’s just say the spiritual equivalent of “404 error not found” would come up on their faces and to be honest, it was worth it… 😂
Great thoughts about the breadth of Christian vocation, but on ‘meritocracy’ I’d suggest a few things:
• It could never have been the case that anyone truly thought that mere hard work could bring success. Moving a big pile of rocks back and forth on barren scrub land is some of the hardest work of all, but no one views this as productive in any way.
• Instead these same survey respondents would surely say that hard work in pursuit of a worthy goal brings success.
• Ah, but which goals are worthy, and for which people? Some jobs require that real God-given talent be brought to the task. Here a lot of hard work is wasted on genuinely unrealistic career outcomes.
• That people tend to rise further with such special gifts, than those without is not an affront to meritocracy. Meritocracy, strictly speaking, means you give the job to the one who can do it best, not to a mediocrity who happens to be your nephew or someone of a favored race or ethnic group.
• And that people with substantial merit do not always rise under meritocratic conditions is also not any threat to meritocracy as a theory, for their merit and hard work are hardly the only determining factors. Maybe they’re in bed sick the morning of the important recital. Maybe they crash their car.
Solomon: “I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11)
Great points! In condensing 8,000 words out of this paper, there were definitely some more nuanced aspects of meritocracy that had to get cut. But I appreciate the comment!
The stats you included are fascinating. I grew up as a very high achiever and thought I’d go pretty far in life ;) however, I was given severe chronic health issues that makes full time work nearly impossible. We moved out of our expensive dream home near Phoenix and bought a much more affordable home closer to family. Now we have more support and own our house outright. Despite it not being a “dream home,” we have less stress and can live on one income. I’m hoping to stay at home if I’m blessed with children and you cannot put a price on that either. God has taught me so much of what really matters from years of chronic illness.
Thanks so much for reading and sharing this comment !!
Jodi, I’m struck so much by the similarity of our stories! I was also on a high achieving academic path, when in graduate school I became chronically ill. I also have had to leave behind work and career goals. We also have made certain choices to be able to live on one income and have a smaller home than some of our friends. Yet, I’m often amazed by God’s startling grace in giving me so much purpose, joy, and meaning in life. You’re exactly right when you say that God teaches us about what “really matters”. In some ways, illness has made me free to see what is truly important in life and to be free to see my dignity apart from my own achievements.
The enemy wants us to feel alone and like we’re the only one suffering. And miss out on what God is teaching us. Thank you for sharing!
Some time ago, I had the opportunity to talk about success according to the Bible with the young people at my local church. Based on Joshua 1, I shared this definition:
Success is fulfilling God’s calling for my life by obeying His Word, trusting in His promises, and enjoying His presence and blessing in everything I do.
Your article confirms to me that success according to the world and success according to the Bible are two very different things. Let’s choose success God’s way.
Thanks Diego!! I appreciate it. Ang that sounds like a wonderful definition to me.
Thank you for this. Anecdotally, a retired nurse called into radio 'call-in' program that I heard yesterday. She explained how the same system which she served for 40 years had (IMO) abandoned her. She required medical attention but had to jump through all sorts of gatekeeping hoops to get it. She said with audible distress that this whole ethic of self-help & being your own best advocate in the medical profession was a relatively new thing. And it was never an attitude which had formed her as a nurse. She'd been taught to simply help sick people - not to expect the sick to come in as their own best doctors. It struck me as a miserable case of misplaced meritocracy. Sick person heal thyself.
Very interesting point! I appreciate you sharing.
From aristocratic, to meritocratic, to “valutrocratic” — what are you doing for your neighbours, loved ones, and society.
I like this, it’s a great idea.
Thanks Mark!!
As always, excellent work. If you're looking for a soundtrack of these ideas, Andy Squyres is a master at walking in this tension of being Jesus people living in a world that demands performance and hustle.
Love it! I'll check him out!
The ordinary and the boring and the mundane. The everyday. We get to celebrate because this work given to us by God is our worship back to God.
I praise God that I get to boring things.
So much good stuff to chew on here.
Most excellent, indeed. I had a blog once called, "Pondering Providence". It's only purpose was to address this very issue. I continue to struggle daily with why some people who are immensely gifted, talented, trained, schooled, what-have-you, continue to struggle with getting by or just even being seen as needed, especially in the church. My (rhetorical) question is why are we put in situations that seem futile, pay at poverty level, and offer zero reward and very little satisfaction, if any at all even when we work our asses off? Sorry to be a negative Nancy. I don't reside in that state for more than a few minutes at a time because that state is like having your soul sucked out by Potter's Dementor. At times, I must force myself to be content and grateful that my husband and I even have a job, and even having steady employment is not normal, if compared to the entire world. We are definitely in a season of wasted gifting and training. Each of us has tried to "break out" for several years by applying for other work that seems to better fit our skillsets. But for some bloody reason, this is the way it's supposed to be. Because Providence. It's scary, I tell you. We're both at that age where we won't be considered "hireable" any longer. And that just sucks. Geez. I'm too old to use that word.
Such an interesting reflection! I appreciate you sharing and reading! And you’re definitely not too old Stacy!!
Thought-provoking and uplifting. Thank you.
This was outstanding. Growing up, I was always fascinated by how reputation changed reality. One kid tells a joke and the rest of the class laughs, while another kid tells a similar joke and the rest of the class groans. Normally, the difference was in social reputation (good family vs poor family; Hot girl vs plain girl; etc). Thus partly why "a good name is better to be chosen." All actions are interpreted in light of your name. Changing your name through action is possible, but it takes a long time. People do not change their opinions of you, overnight.
Thanks for reading Sid!!
2 exclamation points? Calm down, bro. ;)