The answer
Your talents, interests, and energy are God given gifts to use for His glory. There is nothing that you mentioned that would lead one to think that your pursuits are for vainglory. Certainly Mary, the sister of Martha, did not simply sit around all day and do no service at all, but she made the wise decision on that day to sit at the Lord's feet. This was more needed than service at that point in time. Monastics are required to live a life of perpetual prayer, with labor sufficient for providing for their basic needs. Monastics are required to pray for the majority of God loving Christians who are in the trenches all day in the world—the lambs amongst wolves. Monastics also need to pray for the lost souls and the unbelievers and all who ask and do not ask for prayer. This is a calling for some. For the rest, who remain in the world, they too have a calling. The apostles were not monastics. Their calling and service required that they live in the world. The parents of the monastics had to be part of the world and raise God fearing and God loving children. These all will receive their crowns because of their faithfulness in their calling and vocations.Your father is probably trying to expose you to a balanced and practical life, concerned that you may be leaning toward a vocation that would limit your potential. This is also wise. If you have the time to take extra courses, and can still fulfill all your other obligations, then do so. Just because you live in the world or experience success in the world, does not mean that the world is in you and dictates your spiritual life. God is our priority, joy, and longing; but we all have different paths to take in order to serve Him best. Think about the new Christian martyrs of Libya. Though we do not know all of their stories, we know that these were young men who ventured off to Libya to make money for their families. Maybe some were married, some had children, others still engaged; perhaps some just wanted to help their siblings and parents with their finances. Ultimately, God won their hearts. When death came upon them because of their faith, their faith arose above all—their families, and even their own lives. Thus, they accepted martyrdom and the world received another chapter of real evangelism through these young men who proclaimed their faith at knifepoint.
Pray and ask the Lord to lead you unto that path of your salvation and to give your father peace with your decision.
Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)