We all go through times when we wonder what God has created us to do career-wise. And rightfully so. The right career can make all the difference between having a purpose-filled life and trying to drag yourself out of bed on a Monday morning!
So, how do you know you’re doing what God created you to do? Here are three cues:
Doing well: When you’re in the career God has destined for you, you do well. You feel like God fashioned you to do that job. That’s because He did! He gave you the right personality, natural skills, and talents to help you perform the job well. You may be good at many things. However, when you do exceptionally well at a particular task and enjoy it, it highlights that you have superior strength in it and should pursue it.
Being Happy: Besides doing well, it’s essential to consider how you feel when performing the task. Are you happy, or do you do it grudgingly? Do you feel like someone is forcing you to do it, or would you cheerfully do the work even without pay? You’ll gladly do something without payment if you’re passionate about it. That’s because you love what you do. For example, when I began my journalism career, I started by volunteering as an online and radio journalist. Volunteering not only allowed me to confirm the idea of being in the career long-term, but it proved that I love journalism. So, if you feel God built you for something, and you succeed at it and are happy, then the chances that He has mandated you to do that job are higher. Consider the last point to ensure that you’re genuinely pursuing your desired career, which God designed you to be in.
Affirmation of Your Strengths: This third point is beneficial. People are more likely to tell you when you do well at something, especially if they’re not as good at it. They’ll affirm your strengths in line with what you do. They’ll inform you that you’re great at it! When people tell you that you’re excellent at a particular task or work, take it seriously, especially if the number of those saying so is many. It’s worth considering, even if it’s a few people, particularly when you’re excelling and joyful in the role.
The Bottom Line
Finding the right career can be a process. However, these three hints can help you define where you should be. When you shine at something, you’re glad while doing it, and others tell you how great you are at it, confirms within your heart what you may have always known but needed to come to the forefront. They also prove that God made you for the job! So, give that job your best and live your most fulfilled life yet!
Akosua Frempong, Ph.D., is a freelance journalist with the Evangelical Press Association. She has worked in journalism on three continents. As part of her journalism experience, she has worked as a broadcast journalist, anchor, and producer. Dr. Frempong is an adjunct journalism professor at Regent University, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Moreover, she is the founder of Listening Ear Communications, a company that provides excellent, professional journalism to various news media organizations and publications.