Originally published on Blogger 1/8/13
Oftentimes in our society today people look at career decisions based on market trends and the like. Many of us look for the “hot” jobs of the future when looking to make a career transition. This would seem to be a logical deduction to some but fails to note other important factors that should influence your job search. For years, I had to work in a job where I helped people look for jobs. I rarely focused on market trends when assisting people, but instead focused on the skills and passions of each individual.
I would attempt to get to know the skills they had and the things they loved to do. My goal was always to find the nexus between the two as all people have some innate skill in the thing they love to do. What I was really focusing on where the people’s God given talents and abilities, and encouraging each person to pursue those things in a focused way. People were very quick to say “I couldn’t do that” or “I a too old for that” or “I am just afraid to try” but I would encourage them to pursue their dreams and outline how the organization could assist them in acquiring the skills and education needed to achieve that career objective.
On occasion, a client would say something about God and we would discuss how God had a plan for each of us. How what we would do for free is normally what we should do per our careers. And though this was a key thing I failed to regularly note an important factor, trusting God. What I realized later is that when you try to do everything on your own things will often go awry because you are relying on your own understanding and abilities. But trusting God is key, and that trusting God is dependent on developing that relationship with Him.
Unfortunately, most people will blame God, be mad at God, ignore God, and not spend enough time to get to know Him through His Word. The good thing is when any person gets to know Him and trust Him they can gain a sense of peace in regards to their career. Really, you need to give your career over to God, ask Him to direct your life vocationally, and to affirm that He is the source of the direction of your life. I understand this is hard and have struggled with this myself but now I trust Him with that aspect of my life.
For years I tried to figure out things like most people, and, on occasion I would listen to what He told me to do with my career, but overall I was still in control. People would of course offer advice for this career or that career, for this or that degree, but that was no good. I suffered through a lack of self-esteem and success because I was not in alignment with His plan for my life. The messed up thing is that I was reticent to trust God and for that I suffered.
Its not like God wants us to struggle, to feel directionless but when we are not in alignment with his plan for us, and are not making Him the guiding force in our lives we are in deep doo doo. God wants the best for us and wants to guide us, if we can get ourselves out of the way and get God in the way. When we do He can reveal to us what he wants us to do and we will blessed as a result. Its like that old adage goes, "If you want something you never had you must do something you have never done." In short, you have to trust God. Nuff said....
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