- As a kid, I used to dream of doing something for a career, and it’s not what I’m doing right now. True False
- I’ve let others talk me into having my current career, but it has never felt right. True False
- I’m unhappy and bored doing what I’m doing for a living. True False
- I stopped making progress toward a dream of a career, but I still think about it. True False
- If I could do anything in the world and get paid for it, it would be: .
How did you do answering these questions? More importantly, how did you feel while you were answering them?
Are you one of the many singles who have turned to careers that will earn them the money they need to provide for themselves and their families, but is stifling, unfulfilling, and boring? Join the ranks.
Recent polls found that up to 90% of workers felt unsatisfied with their jobs for many reasons, among which were not working for an organization with corresponding passions or going into careers that they did not prefer as their primary choice.
Find something you love to do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life. Dr. Arthur Szathmary
Time jades the best of us. The dreams of childhood often look foolish when we get a bit older and find ourselves surrounded by dream-killers and their victims.
We then let our dreams of joyful career fulfillment slip from our fingers into the greedy grip of pragmatism. There we think we must eke out a living bored, dissatisfied, and disconnected from the will of God. We envy those who break from the ranks to pursue their callings, talents, dreams, and ministries.
Give instruction to a youth about his way, even when he is old he turneth not from it. Proverbs 22:8 YLT
This scripture is often quoted as heaven’s guarantee that children raised to honor God will always come back to their roots if they stray. However, there is a more accurate, much deeper meaning: The will of God is often evidenced by the intrinsic longings, talents, strengths, and interests which He built into our souls at creation. They are sometimes ignored for the shallow security promised by money. If we try to make our kids—or ourselves—enter a career they/we were not made for, they—and we—may become frustrated, bored, agitated, or otherwise negatively affected.
Even though we may become somewhat successful in this profession we chose, we sense something vital is missing. We long to be fulfilled by focusing on a career or a ministry we know we would love, but time, busyness, and paychecks obscure our vision. And unconsciously, we may try to work our way back to the original imprint of God on our souls for the rest of our lives.
Are you doing what you love to do for a living?
If not, what you would rather be doing to earn an income than what you are doing right now?
Now might be the time to pray about the direction your life has been taking. If the Lord called you into a particular career or ministry and you veered from it, it might not be too late.
Seek His face and see if the reason for your day dreams and hopes and perking of the ears when someone else talks about it, is all because He never relinquished His call on your life. Ponder these scriptures for your potential return to your career Eden:
God never changes his mind when he gives gifts or when he calls someone; Romans 11:29 GW.
Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is; Eph. 5:17 AMPC
Don’t become the barnyard duck this anonymous poem speaks of:
I think my soul is a tame old duck
Dabbling around in barnyard muck
Fat and lazy, with useless wings
Yet sometimes, when the North wind sings
And wild ones hurtle overhead
It remembers something lost and dead
And cocks a lazy, bewildered eye
And flaps its wings, and tries to fly
Oh, it’s content with the state it’s in
But it’s not the duck it might have been.
My single Christian friend, He never gave up on you. In fact, He might have set everything up in your life to get you to this point of dissatisfaction and weary boredom to point you back to His called career or ministry. He still has more for you than you could ever dream of. It might be your destiny.
Reclaim the original mold He created you in and go for it. Don’t quit now!
REFERENCES
Bible Hub. Commentary on Proverbs 22:6, particularly Barnes, Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, and Pulpit Commentary. http://biblehub.com/commentaries/proverbs/22-6.htm accessed 8/14/17
Blue Letter Bible Classic. Lexicon results and commentary on Proverbs 22:6, Strong’s H1870 – derek, Young’s Literal Translation. http://www.blbclassic.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H1870&t=YLT accessed 8/14/17
Hull, Benjamin. Anonymous poem, “Barnyard Ducks,” Post for theotherben.blogspot.com, posted on 01/15/2012. http://otherben.blogspot.com/2012/01/barnyard-ducks.html accessed 8/14/17
Quote Investigator. Choose a Job You Love, and You Will Never Have To Work a Day in Your Life. 9/2/2014. http://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/09/02/job-love/ accessed 8/14/17
