What to Do Next: Biblical Wisdom for Your CareerSample

Here’s what I believe about you: I believe you have been created and gifted by God. Those gifts aren’t just for you; they’re gifts for the world. And the more you recognize, understand, and leverage them, the better positioned you’ll be to find what’s next.

Some days, it’s easy to believe you have been created and gifted by God. One of my first “real” jobs was in the promotions department for the Atlanta Braves. As a lifelong Braves fan, it was a dream come true. And many days, the work made me feel like I was doing exactly what I was made to do. Coming up with creative promotions came naturally to me. For one game I even got to be a major league mascot!

On the other hand, there were days when I felt woefully inept for the job. One of my regular tasks was selling ads for the game day programs and I was terrible at it. My hands would sweat while making the phone calls. I would stutter and talk too fast. After every rejection, I would think, I was not made to do this.

Have you been there too? Are you feeling that way at work right now?

If so, let today’s verses be an encouragement. Their message is clear: you have been created and gifted by God. He has “prepared in advance” work for you to do and wired you to do it. The trick is deciphering what that work could be. So let me suggest three action steps that might help.

Spend time being curious about your past jobs and roles. What were you good at? What are you not so good at? The path to your dream job often leads through your day job.

Make a list of your strengths. Write down what you think they are, then ask a few coworkers. (You don’t have to ask, “What am I good at?” Try asking something like, “What strengths could I leverage to be a better teammate?”)

Find a Problem to Solve. Is there something that breaks your heart? Have you ever thought, Somebody should do something about that? Pay attention. Maybe that somebody is you.

When you begin discerning and discovering your strengths, it’s uncanny how things start to happen in your career. You see, God designed you. God created you. His thumbprints are on you. And God’s thumbprints on you are clues about his plans for you. The more you know those thumbprints, the better you know those plans.