“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation, and go to the grave with the song still in them.” David Thoreau

In Walden, Thoreau wrote the thought that “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation”. The second half of this quote was added later, but it perfectly emphasizes the meaning that Thoreau expressed in his writing.

Today, this quote can be applied to any individual who has not yet found their purpose. They are simply trudging to work and living for the paycheck, hoping for the weekend to arrive so that they can fill the void in their life with useless pleasures.

This is Sad Clown syndrome. It affects everyone, but men are especially afflicted by it because we take on a burden of self-reliance for family finances, success, and happiness.

We struggle alone, locked up in our own minds trying to work out the issue of self-worth. Afraid to show weakness. Weakness, we believe, is not becoming of a man or a professional. So, we struggle alone until the sadness and depression sets in.

Our song locked up in us, never sung and never heard. Hidden away because we are afraid it isn’t good enough or it won’t make us enough money. This should not be the case.

Men and women of God need to live knowing that we are not meant to do this life on our own. We must know that our purpose and fulfillment come from being about the Father’s business and He will help us through the storms of life. Our song and joy come from the Lord. And so too our provisions come from the Lord.

When your secular career and your talents line up, and you work as unto the Lord, that’s when the feeling of fulfillment starts to come. Then use the experience you gain from your day job in service for the kingdom and complete the process.

When we step out of our everyday routine and use our talent for the purpose that has been placed in us it may seem unnatural at first. Yet the feeling of fulfillment will be so worth it.

Sing your song for the Lord and don’t hide it until you die. Maybe the money wasn’t the most important thing when a life is assessed at the end of the journey. Maybe just being what God made us to be is enough.