As the oldest of three sons, I was always the one expected to take over the family business. It was all I knew. It was all I had ever pictured as my future…and I was walking away. After six intense months of reading and studying my Bible and praying, I was certain I had to make a significant change in the direction of my life.
All of my life, I had been working toward taking over my family’s business, an automobile dealership group in Georgia. I planned to expand it and take it to new heights! I had visions of grandeur and everything looked like it was headed that way. But when I began spending time in God’s Word, I realized that everything I wanted and worked for was only temporal. None of it would really matter in 1,000 years.
I realized I was only giving God the Christian requisite one day per week (actually, just Sunday morning) and an occasional Wednesday evening. The rest of the time was spent trying to juggle my job in the car business and my family at home. Even when I added the daily quiet times, God was still not the central focus of my life. This was not the way He wanted it!
“It was all I had ever pictured as my future…and I was walking away.”
I began searching for answers. If God wanted all of me, what would that look like? I had heard of people getting “called” into full-time ministry, but I did not feel that call. I knew of others “called” into the mission field, but I did not feel that either. What exactly was God asking me to do? What was I created to do?
To tell the truth, I did not have a clue! I only knew I was not comfortable with the status quo and had to change it. I sat down with my father and explained that I was leaving the business. Because I was already in a significant leadership position within the company, I told him I did not want to do it effective immediately. I wanted him to have time to replace me and make any other arrangements that may be necessary. This would likely involve downsizing the business and could take a couple of years.
I did not feel God calling me to leave right away, only to let go and be prepared to walk away. I had no idea where I was going or when. I only knew I wanted to be spending more of my time working for God – whatever that entailed.
What would you do?
Do you think this move was too drastic?
Have you done (or thought about doing) something similar?
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