When Josh Laurtich landed his dream job, he couldn’t believe it. He was working with artists in the music business, something he never could have imagined as a kid growing up in Milwaukee. The more he worked, the more success he experienced. Doors seemed to open easily, and he was loving every minute of it.
Somewhere along the way, the joy Josh felt in his work took an unhealthy turn.
“I was starting to buy my own hype, thinking “look at all that I’m doing.” Pride was really coming up in me and it was affecting my relationships. It was affecting everything. I started thinking that something had to change.”
Something did change, but not what Josh expected. He lost his job.
“I woke up one day with an 8-month old, my wife, living in Nashville all by ourselves, and no job.”
Josh says it felt like the rug was taken out from under him. For a time he tried to find a way to continue his career and support his family. He tried to build on his own ideas, hoping to prove to his former employer they had made a mistake and never should have let him go. But all his efforts seemed to go nowhere. Over and over, he ran into walls.
For two years, Josh flailed about. In that process, he began to do some soul searching. He realized that his significance had been wrapped up in the work he did; the people he worked with, the prestigious employer, the artists. All that stuff had become his identity. Without it, he felt like a nobody.
Through the help of friends and an amazing pastor, Josh began to realize that he didn’t need a job for affirmation and love; he already had those in Jesus. He began to see that Jesus was all he needed in life.
“I began to realize that we are significant, not because of our own selves, but because of who Jesus is and what He has accomplished for us. And everything we do in this life, if it’s not for Him and for His glory, it’s wasted.”
Jesus became very clear to Josh during that process of wrestling. He began to realize that being a good husband and father was far more important than making a name for himself. His path suddenly became clear – trust God and take care of his family. So he packed up his family and moved back home to live with his parents in Milwaukee while he figured out a new career. He had peace as he laid down the dream of working in the music business.
Josh could never have imagined what happened next. When he laid down the job, the career, and made the decision to trust God, that’s when doors began to open in an unbelievable way.
Hear Josh’s story in Chapter 28 of Epic.
Finding Identity in Jesus - Josh Lauritch
