How to Narrow your Job Placement
How to Narrow your Job Placement
Apologies for those who want a list…
When you are in your 60’s, job hunting is so much different than when you are (in my case 14 years and on) young. That first job is important to set your habits, prove yourself, and figure life out. I was privileged to have a paper route six days a week all through Junior High to High School. The commitment to a job is a given when you are older, the proving of one’s ability is usually not in question, and many life choices are behind you. Job hunting is less anxiety-filled when you are older (unless you are desperate for a title and more money); for some the hamster wheel has mesmerized them and they do not realize they can get off.
The person who has sustained me in my work is Jesus Christ; it is for Him that we “live, move, and have our being.” When you are older in Christ some patience has been learned and waiting is easier than when you were young. God has our “good” in mind. There are Jobs that I look at now that I would not “touch with a ten-foot pole,” but as a younger person perhaps I would have taken.
Becoming like Jesus Christ narrows your job search, not because you are staying away from the world, but because you are consciously putting yourself in situations to be more effective for Jesus Christ and an influencer for His good news. The best way to wait for God concerning a job is prayer. The pure dependence upon His guidance. At any age, it is impossible to see everything up ahead.
As Christian, the Job should allow for you to be an “image-bearer” for Jesus Christ. Not as an obnoxious preacher or contrarian, but a presence that represents God’s holiness in a down to earth way. In this sense, our job field narrows, because some jobs demand that one compromises values that Jesus Christ expects us to live out. Some jobs are a part of the suffering for Jesus Christ because on a basic level they are not heavenly. I would love to talk freely of my love for Jesus Christ and assume that everyone understands my relationship with Him. I would like to assume that everyone has the same values and express freely my thoughts as guided by the Bible. But that is not the reality. The Bible says to be ready with an answer so that when people are curious about how you live your life, you can answer specifically and to the point.
Jesus Christ is always helpful to narrow my job search. Most computer algorithms cannot pick up on what a Christian is looking for. The Christian has the Holy Spirit which helps guide and direct our paths. You have a Holy Spirit algorithm if you a born-again Christian. Work is not an option; it is a joy to work. Work is not a part of the curse.
Matthew 7:13
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
Isaiah 35:8
And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it, only those who walk in that Way–and fools will not stray onto it.