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What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

The Question

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Ever heard this before? Actually, that was a rhetorical question, since I'm certain you've heard it at least 500 times. Furthermore, not only have you heard the question frequently, you've probably grown to despise that 10-word interrogation.

My college years forced me to face this question, because it was time for me, like all of my fellow students, to choose a major (i.e., a career). I think I could safely call this decision the biggest threat to college-age heart health. Could the weight of this question be made heavier by the fact that we've been asked what we want to do with our lives since kindergarten?

I'll admit that it's cute to hear a 4-year-old say that he wants to be a fireman when he grows up. But does he really need to be thinking that far into the future? Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not suggesting that we never let or encourage children to imagine their future. In fact, I think it is good for one to consider an array of career possibilities. However, I am questioning the amount of pressure placed on young people to know what they want to do with the rest of their lives.

From Without and Within

It would be unfair for me to imply that this pressure comes only from other people. The truth is that students often place a large amount of stress on themselves. For instance, I recently talked to a young man who was reflecting on some college memories. He shared that he had found himself in a tormenting pattern in which he felt he must perform well. He described it like this:

With even the smallest assignment, I thought I needed to get an 'A.' If I didn't get an 'A,' I was afraid my professor wouldn't like me. And if my professor didn't like me, he wouldn't give me a good recommendation to grad school. And if I didn't get into the right grad school, I wouldn't get the job I wanted. I became paralyzed with fear believing that the rest of my life depended upon my performance on a short homework assignment.

Therefore, pressure can come from external or internal sources, or some random combination of the two.

Take my life for instance. I recently graduated college with a bachelor of science degree in philosophy and religion. I have had goals all of my life. I hope to someday have the opportunity to work on a college campus discipling young women. However, I still do not know what I want to do with the rest of my life!

Furthermore, I do not think God necessarily wants me or you to know the rest of our days. In fact, I think His word proves that point quite frankly:

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is you boast and brag. (James 4:13-16a, NIV)

Or consider Proverbs 16:9, "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps (NLT)." In Lindy Keffer's recent article, "The Back Story on Birth Control," she used these same scriptures to say, "… we are not to hold so tightly to our own freedom and our own plans that we leave no room for God's."

One Step at a Time

What if God doesn't want us to hold so tightly to our plans for what we will be when we grow up? Maybe He desires for us to invest our time into furthering our knowledge of His Word and the world around us, while at the same time cultivating the gifts and talents He has entrusted to us. But what if He never intended for us to know exactly where we would be headed — not because He is deceptive or confusing (although we might wonder sometimes), but because He wants us to remain dependent upon Him, since He knows we often try to do things on our own.

What if our existence on earth, our career if you want to call it that, is to make us like Christ, not to find a specific job? Maybe we shouldn't be quite as concerned with finding a specific career, but more concerned about glorifying God in whatever we do. I like the way J.P. Moreland talks about this issue:

But for a disciple, the purpose of college is not just to get a job. Rather, it is to discover a vocation, to identify a field of study in and through which I can serve Christ as my Lord. And one way to serve Him in this way is to learn to think in a Christian manner about my major.¹

Suggestions for Picking a Major

If you find yourself in the current crisis of picking a major, I have a few suggestions for you to consider.

It might seem obvious, but be sure to pick a major that truly interests you and fits who you are as a person. You could even write out a list of pros and cons that qualifies each aspect of a major. (For more on picking a major/career that's right for you, see Dan Bradley's article, "Do Not Go Gentle Into Your Career." He offers useful advice and resources to help you think things through and make the best choices based on who God made you to be.)

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Are you feeling (or getting) pressure to choose a major and/or career?

Join the discussion!

Give the Lord your concerns about knowing each step of your life, and instead trust Him with your future. Take time to pray so that God can speak to your spirit and give you His peace. And seek out other people who can give you godly advice (advisers, parents, teachers, mentors, pastors, etc.).

Most important of all, get rid of the attitude that can trap you into thinking that once you choose a major you're stuck with it forever. Your life is an adventure waiting to unfold; it is comforting to know that we have a trustworthy guide.