The Career Path Consult

Paul does not tell the believers to leave their current work and become missionaries or pastors. He tells them to remain where they are and serve God there. Paul wrote something similar to the Colossians,  "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him"  (Colossians 3:17). It is not so muchwhatwe are doing that matters, asfor whomwe are doing it. We glorify God when we work hard and cheerfully, whether as a pastor, an investor, an actor, a stay-at-home mother, or a Barrister.

If you want professional success, it's important to find someone who will help you achieve. But if you can't find someone supportive? You might be better off staying single, writes Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, CEO of gender consulting firm 20-fist, in the Harvard Business Review.

School study is good, but don't lose focus on what's most important.

The difference between where we are and where we ought to be; is the path.

Even when you are an employee working for someone else, you will be much more satisfied in your work if you think of yourself as being self-employed.  As Brian Tracy describes, you can think of yourself as being the "CEO of your own personal service corporation."   No matter how you produce a paycheck, you are in charge of your career.  Adopting a mindset of being self-employed can lead you to experiencing more meaning and success in your work.  Here are some of the characteristics of the entrepreneurial mindset:

There are some people who just seem to know what they’re called to do from the very beginning. My brother knew even before conception that he was destined to become a solicitor! Whilst he worked hard for all his achievements, there are other people, myself being one, who also work hard, but frequently struggle to discover their life’s calling. An important part of our calling is what we do for a career: an accountant, a nurse or to work with disadvantaged teenagers. Whatever we’re called to, when we discover the career or calling that suits every part of who we are, we will have a sense of peace or 'šālôm' (Matt 25:23, Psalm 16:11). The reason for this is that when we work according to our God-given ability, personality, skills and a number of other considerations, we will inevitably work according to the design that God set for our lives. A star career-coach! Science has given us an amazing range of telescopes to view deeper into the universe. If we restricted ...

"Most of us are looking for a calling, not a job," says Nora Watson in her interview for Studs Terkel's classic book  Working . "Most of us...have jobs that are too small for our spirit. Jobs are not big enough for people." She compared her job with that of her father, who had felt his work was "a profession of himself" and a calling. Many people feel trapped in work that provides a paycheck but little else. They find they have little opportunity to use their gifts or do anything that is personally meaningful. Have you reached a point in your life where you know that what you are doing is not enough? Are  you  looking for your calling rather than settling for just another job? Understanding Your "Primary Calling" vs. Your "Secondary Callings" Most of us spend 60% or more of our lives working. The right job can give you opportunities to use your unique gifts and abilities to make a positive difference in the world. Being i...

Each January provides a chance for a "do-over"; the fresh, new year presents the opportunity to wipe the slate clean, set some new (or newly embraced) goals, and do things differently in the months to come. If your goals for this year include finding a new career-one that is your vocational calling-you may not be sure where to begin. Here are some suggested steps to get you started: 1.  Take stock of your work life thus far.  Taking an honest look at your past career choices and experiences can help you make better career choices in the future. - Which work activities have you liked best? Why? - Which have you liked least? - When have you most felt like you were "being yourself" in your work? What were you doing?    What gave the activity meaning for you? - What has influenced your decisions about which career paths to pursue (or not pursue)? - What do you wish you had done differently? 2. Take a fresh look at yourself and your God-given design....

Overscheduled.Overworked. Overcommitted. Overwhelmed. Sound familiar? Many of us find ourselves running from one activity to another, feeling stressed and at the mercy of a schedule of our own making. Busyness can make us feel like we are doing something, but we may be hard pressed to explain exactly what it is we are doing that really matters. If that sounds like your life, we invite you to take a brief “time out” to look at whether you are acting like a driven or a called person. Driven vs. Called In his book,  Ordering Your Private World , Gordon MacDonald describes the characteristics of stressed, driven people (who often are doing very good things). They are all around us. In fact, often they are us! Do you see yourself or someone close to you in some of these symptoms? A driven person is: -  “Usually abnormally busy. They are usually too busy for the pursuit of ordinary relationships in marriage, family, or friendship, or even to carry on a relationship ...

Unhappy with her job, Julie was considering becoming a real estate agent like her aunt. Sorting through the mail one evening, she found a flyer advertising a training course for prospective realtors. “Hmmm,” she wondered aloud, “is God trying to tell me something?” When Christians are faced with making a decision about which direction to go with their lives, many aren’t sure how to choose a path to pursue.