Crossroads - At The Intersection Of Making Money Or Making A Life

Crossroads - At the Intersection of Making Money or Making a Life

INTELLIGENT, ARTICULATE, discerning, thoughtful, loving, and more fun than a barrel of monkeys are the words that describe my best friend, Paula. Focused and ambitious are two other words that describe this beautiful woman. Like many of us, she discovered that her quest for professional success created a distraction as she arrived at a crucial junction in her marriage.

Nine years into their marriage, Paula was at the pinnacle of her career and was handsomely rewarded for her contributions to her organization. But thanks to a boss whose management style was—well, let’s say unpredictable—Paula had developed a love-hate relationship with her job. Relishing the sound of her high heels clicking across the manufacturing floor and the pride that accompanied building an efficient, productive team, Paula precariously balanced the enjoyment of her work with popping Tums whenever the president entered her office doorway.

In the meantime, her husband, Mark, was also concentrating his energies and attention on his career, traveling around the world and dealing with the pressure of the fast-paced world of sales. He was no more physically or emotionally available to Paula than she was to him.

Days turned into weeks, which turned into months, as the two slowly drifted apart, rarely engaging in meaningful conversation. While her husband turned to coworkers to unwind after an intense day, Paula relied on evenings out with her girlfriends as a form of stress management. Traveling in the same direction but in different cars, they found themselves at an interesting intersection one Friday evening when Paula stated unapologetically and unemotionally, “I’m not happy.”

As her husband passionately probed, Paula’s tears finally fell as she expressed her frustration and stress with work. Although knowing intellectually that “it wasn’t personal,” her weariness from managing the pressure of an unreasonable boss had finally taken its toll. Interestingly to Paula, the work—not the crisis in her marriage—brought her to tears. The two now had a decision to make as they sat at the crossroads of making money or making a life.

No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24)

So which master are you devoted to today—making money or making a life?