“Thus says the Lord: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord’” (Jeremiah 17:5, 7).
Discouragement has lingered at my door the past few weeks while I’ve been job hunting. However, I thank the Lord that He is taking care of us. Part of me feels very self-conscious that Ryan is working hard, and although I’m staying busy, I’m not contributing financially. I tend to place great emphasis and prestige on work, but I know self-worth is not contingent on my paycheck. I’ve prayed for God to give me a discerning heart regarding not just what type of job I should now try to obtain but also what criteria to consider such as physical, time, and travel requirements in addition to salary.
Relying on God during my job search has proved difficult as I need to “sell” myself and therefore tend to focus on my qualifications and ability instead of taking each application to the Lord. So far, I have applied to over 20 jobs. Ironically, all of the jobs I was confident about have fallen through. And yet, I was offered a job that I literally wrote on my list that I probably wouldn’t get. Less than an hour after I submitted my application, I received a call to an interview. During the interview, I was offered the job! However, over the weekend, reality set in and I realized that I shouldn’t take a job that might interfere with my physical health (continuing foot issues) nor one that was part-time without benefits. While I thought this was a clear direct answer to prayer, I had to consider the results of taking such a job.
God taught me that while I need to continue searching with confidence, that confidence needs to be in Him instead of just myself and not everything that comes my way is from Him. I should not assume He is sending me on interviews for only jobs that I should take. Additionally, it occurred to me that maybe God doesn’t have just one path for me. I like to think of the future as a straight path where there is only one good way. But the truth is that while each decision is important and often one option is better than another, it is not the only possibility to fulfill God’s will. God has given us freedom and choice to not just choose between a good decision and a bad one but sometimes multiple options on either side.
Whatever decisions you make today, whatever trials are coming your way, know that if you trust in the Lord and move forward in prayer, discerning His will, that He will bless you. The blessing might not manifest in the way you think it should but you can rest assured that you are securely in His hands for the whole journey.