Navigating Our Calling

So you may be wondering who I am or why you should read this Christian blog in particular. Note, I am writing this blog specifically for those who might be new(er) to the concept of Christianity, so bear with me if you're already familiar with some of the concepts discussed. So, who am I? Well, like I mentioned in my introduction, I'm an aspiring filmmaker! Which means I want to make movies, but lo and behold, sometimes we might have conservative Christian parents who don't want us to enter the entertainment industry because it's full of filth and it will corrupt us, and we will turn from God and that would be bad.

That's what I got in response to telling them that I wanted to do film, right before I entered college. Now, granted, there are many industries with a kind of anti-Christian culture surrounding it (finance, for example), but trust me, I have done my research on Christians in Hollywood and the numbers do not look good. Plus, even if you didn't watch movies, you'd probably be able to guess that there are actually a lot of anti-Christian sentiments out there in popular media (misrepresentation of religion and scripture is actually rampant), and my parents' worry, although extreme, isn't necessarily misguided.

But anyway, I'm not here to tell you my life story or the trajectory of my career, or to hit you over the head with a rant (honestly I could go on and on about religion and media). However, I do want to use my passion and my goals as a framework for how I can live as a Christian even if it seems like I'm not necessarily entering a Christian-friendly field, in case you are also in a similar position.

I've been asking God a lot about my calling lately. This is a popular topic for Christian young adults all over, but I've found myself feeling kind of isolated from time to time. I don't want to be a doctor, or go into research, law or business. I've felt self-conscious because I don't want to do something "practical" like my peers or my sister, but in this STEM-worshipping society I am forced to confront why I feel that way and resolve it in front of God. Media and humanities aren't valued the way certain other fields are, on account of results. We live in a results-driven world here in the US, and as a result, sometimes I wrongly approach my faith in a very results-driven way. If A works lead to B tangible results, which ultimately impact C lives in a visible and timely manner, then God has heard me. Or, if X prayer leads to Y answer, then I have successfully connected with God. These are simply untrue (more on that later). What is unique about the arts is that it exchanges ideas and influences emotions in a way that cannot be delivered through any other method. I understand that's a super generalized, dumb breakdown of "left-brained" "right-brained" work that isn't necessarily realistic. STEM fields can be extremely creative, and arts can be very practical. Also both of those words are extremely broad. But the point is, if you're anything like me, you've probably wrestled with the "why aren't I helping lives?" question. God has His way of calling us to do good works. After talking with a multitude of people, I discovered a few categories: there are the people who devote their spare time to volunteer or do ministry work, but their day job isn't necessarily as directly impactful, it pays the bills. There are the people who work at companies that aren't seemingly doing God's work, but this coined term came up in conversation, the idea of "making your workplace your mission field." Being a Christian in close proximity with people who might not have had the opportunity to hear the gospel is actually really important. Living out our faith not only impacts us, but the people around us. And then there are the people who are specifically doing God's work, whether it is obvious (like ministry) or not.

So returning to the struggle us artists grapple with, God is the master at everything listed above, He's the ultimate artist. He's super creative. So why shouldn't us Christians want to reflect that, if He has made us like Him? It's definitely a scary path to take. Lot less stability for sure. But being a Christian artist, whether that's a children's book illustrator, a musician, a writer, a photographer, etc. Who says that we're not called to these paths? If you want to do something like this for a living, then until God explicitly says no, we're in the clear!

Through prayer, the message I've received from God lately is that one of the deepest desires of my heart is to make movies, yes, but also I should never forget to serve God first. Growing up, this was another thing I had serious issues with. What does it even mean to serve God? Why should I do things for His glory? Why can't I just do what I want? Over time, after making dozens of mistakes, I learned that if I had been aligning myself in the right direction, I would already have the answer. Of course, there is no better time than now for me to realize this, but God isn't a tyrant. He isn't twisted, as some claim. He doesn't seek to take away from us (Luke 11:11-13). My mom once described it like this: if God is the most loving parent, then He of all individuals wants to give us everything in the world. But you can't really give a five-year-old a car, because that five-year-old isn't ready for it. That is why we need to nurture our faith and our relationship with Him. That way we can listen more readily to His voice and recognize what He is trying to tell us.

If you've grown up going to church and you're reading this like, "I already know all of this," I applaud you! You're so much farther than I was just a year ago. But, I would like to challenge you to ask yourself if you truly believe with your heart in God's perfect timing. Personally, I really struggle with this on a daily basis. Sometimes it feels like when I'm not in a position where things are going well, my mind automatically goes, "well, what am I doing wrong? Tell me so I can fix it right now and all of this can go away." God doesn't always answer us right away, but know that He always has a reason for everything (Romans 8:28).

Another random thing that I would like to point out is that we live in a society where we do not perceive careers to be fluid. You might even argue that we choose our paths almost like a death sentence, and that people who move from place to place are considered "flighty," indecisive, or whatever. We should really remind ourselves that God leads us in different ways! What might be good for you at one point in your life might not give you the same growth as another career later on.

This verse always stuns me:

Ephesians 2:10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Not only does this claim that we are God's handiwork, that God created us each individually as works, but also note that God is no spontaneous guy. He's literally prepared these good works beforehand. He knows what I am capable of and what He wants me to do. I often read this with the comfort that He will provide for me, because He's known my path before I was even born.

Now. If you're new to all this and you're going, "I still don't understand what compels you to follow a God who tells you what to do," think about it this way. A secular world (devoid of any religious teaching) generally preaches lawlessness, that chaos is natural and evident. In my experience, I've jumped back and forth between wanting to leave things in God's hands, and wanting to leave God. The idea of accepting Christ is rejecting chaos as we understand it, possibly the scariest thing you can ever do. You're relinquishing the control you thought you had, you're relinquishing a reality in which you thought your life was set in randomness, you're accepting that there is a God who is actually there and doing things, and that the evil in this world can be explained.

I can't explain it. I want to know that it's true. I want to know that He is true. When you run out of options, sometimes you just have to take that leap. I don't see Christianity as a set of structured rules for a limited life. I don't see it as a lifestyle. I don't even see it as a doctrine held by a group of people. It's a journey with a Father I never really knew.

Best blessings to you,
CM