Discovering God’s Will and Plan for my Life PART FOUR IT’S WORTH CONSIDERING
So far we’ve discussed Christ in us, the components of God’s will, and spiritual gifts. You may be thinking this is all great, but you’re still struggling with a decision. You may be thinking about switching jobs or even contemplating a career shift. You need more specifics relating to employment. You’d appreciate any suggestions in this area.

AS I SEE IT
Once again, I’d like to share how I’ve personally been dealing with this issue. Many of my readers may not be aware that I am an architect by trade. All of my writing is done as a second career. I would love to be able to devote all my time to my ministry of writing and speaking, but so far, that’s not been financially possible. My wife and I still enjoy eating and paying our bills on time. Unfortunately, the lousy economy has taken its toll on the construction industry. It’s been a very lean year. A few months ago, I got a call from a friend I hadn’t heard from in years, offering me the opportunity to prepare the working drawings for a large home in one Hilton Head’s premier “plantations.” I soon learned that if I wanted the work, I’d have to agree to a set fee CONSIDERABLY less than what I would normally charge. Desperately needing the work, I agreed. As the project has progressed, it has become more involved…a lot more involved than we had anticipated.

You can imagine the thoughts that have been going through my mind-how I was being used and taken advantage of, etc. etc. This is where the lesson of this post comes into play. The Lord keeps bringing a verse to my mind:

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men (Col. 3:23).

Trust me, this is an attitude changer. As I have thought and prayed my way through this issue, God has reminded me that His hand is in this. He has bigger issues in mind than how much money I will make. I don’t know what He’s up to, but I’ve started trusting in the truth of Matthew 6:33- if I focus on His business, He’ll meet my needs. Having worked through this, I am now happy for the work, and I’ve been pouring myself into this project, trusting in the realization of God’s will.

While your situation is probably different, the principle is the same. God is more concerned with what we do in our situation than the situation itself. He wants us to bloom where we’re planted. Maybe that first job is a far cry from your “ideal,” but so what. Mine certainly wasn’t. It was horrible, but it was a character builder. It was preparation. The key is to look for open doors and to leave the results to God. How we respond to our current situation will determine what door God will open next. Analyze your performance. Have you been following the mandate of Col.3:23, or have you been just getting by until something better comes along? If the latter is the case, you may have a long wait. The bottom line- give it your best, no matter how tough the challenge, and God will open a door. Joseph made the best of a miserable situation and all Israel ended up being blessed.

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