Following Christ and Seeking Tenure

Sarah Hamersma,
Economics,
University of Florida

[Jan 24, 2010] –
It is easy to see ways in which the quest for tenure could seem antithetical to the lifestyle and goals of a Christian.
Clearly we know that as Christians we are to seek the kingdom of God, not a place among the world’s intellectual elite. This sometimes means spending time in ways that does not maximize our research productivity. It often means relationships are of greater importance to us than to many others in our line of work.

However, I think we sometimes exaggerate the “tension” between academic excellence and living out our faith. As an assistant professor reflecting on my own place on the tenure track, I have found comfort in seeing the ways in which God’s calling to me as a Christian can enhance, rather than detract from, my work as a researcher.

It seems to me that in the context of my academic work, being a Christian means my motives are more distinct than my actual output. For example, my priority as a Christian academic should be to build community and build knowledge, not build a personal empire.

But if I truly care about building community and knowledge, I’ll be doing what the rest of the world observes as “networking.” I will likely find collaborators if I am doing this, and some will become meaningful relationships in my life as well as improving the quality of my work.

And if I truly care about serving society with my work, then I would want to do work that examines something important, is not redundant, and will be published where it can have some influence. I think my colleagues – whether Christian or not- would be delighted to see me succeed in this pursuit!

In the end, I believe my motives as a Christian scholar are often quite consistent with the performance that will be judged by my peers. In doing this work, I will also make dear friends along the way — some of whom I would never meet at church! Perhaps I will also be more relaxed than others on the tenure track, knowing that I am seeking God’s guidance rather than man’s approval.

And hopefully, by God’s grace, I will get tenure.

God is Real

Carol Lim,
Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry,
University of Utah

[ April 10, 2009 ] — I was raised as a Christian but it never really sank in.  I understood the “concept” of God, but had no idea of what to do with it.

My journey back to God took about several years. My life until then had been pretty easy—up until the point where I became an assistant professor, and married with two young children to care for.

God made me listen to Him. In the summer of 2007, I went to the ER with a possible heart attack.  It was very scary.

“If you get me out of this”

I made a deal with God and said, “If you get me out of this, I promise I will start going to church regularly.”  I did the things I thought I was “supposed” do to be in God’s good graces.  I even was baptized.

Last year I went to the ER with a ruptured appendix and a diagnosis of myocardial fibrosis, followed by an infection and cyst – and a lot of pain. Many, many tablets of Percocet gave me plenty of time at home to contemplate God — and why this was all happening.  During this time I read Christian authors like Philip Yancey and Thomas Merton who provided me a link between the Bible and myself.

My family was suffering because of my stress.  I was up for tenure soon, and my research funds were running out.  I had no idea of what to do, and had nowhere to turn.  There was no end in sight.

“Okay, God I get it”

At this point I said, “Okay God, I get it.  I give my life over to You.  I don’t know what You have planned for me, but I will trust in You, and let You lead me.”  I let go of my self-reliance, independence, and control of my life.

This literally is Proverbs 3:5-6, which I never fully understood before:  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

What happened after this can only be described as a ball rolling downhill.  My medications were switched, and within six months, my heart had returned to normal.  God is real.  I received tenure as well as a large NIH research grant. I know that God’s presence doesn’t guarantee earthly success, but I do thank Him for all of this.

I started to play the piano after a 27 year hiatus and started composing music.  Some of this music has turned out to be Christian, which puzzled me, since I never listened to Christian music (besides at church), but this is the music I heard in my head when I took time to be quiet.

I went from thinking about God only at night during prayer to thinking about Him all day long, and feeling His constant presence.  I still have many struggles, but with God, I know that I can stumble and still draw near to Him.

© 2009  Carol Lim   Used by permission of Faculty Commons

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