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Trust in God
By Rory Ries
God wants to be involved in your life. He wants to have a relationship with you and He wants to bless you in everything you do as long as it is in obedience to Him. There are many promises out there that each one of us can claim if we acknowledge our Great God.
We are faced with decisions throughout our life. A major decision all of us have to face at one time or another is what do we do with the life God has given us. We are going to spend a large portion of our life working so we may live a productive life and provide for the ones we care for. God is very specific in saying, “If anyone will not work, neither shall they eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). God also says, “if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).
It is a serious matter when an individual is seeking a career or taking time to figure out what one wants to do with his life. It is a huge step and it is very important we look to God for guidance and direction in our decision-making process. Who knows us better than God? He knows each hair that is on our head (Matthew 10:30). God instructs us if we seek the Kingdom first He will provide for us all that we need (Matthew 6:33). God also says He will give us the good things because we come to Him and ask (Matthew 7:11).
Solomon, who was one of the wisest men who has ever lived, acknowledged that man should enjoy the good in his labor because it comes from the hand of God (Ecclesiastes 2:24). He said it was a gift from God, man enjoying what he has worked so very hard for. Solomon also said it was man’s heritage that he be able to rejoice in his own works (Ecclesiastes 3:22). There is no better feeling for a man than to sit back at the end of a Friday afternoon and look out at his land and see how God has blessed him with a home and property he can call his very own. To experience this feeling one must work hard and one must always live their life in obedience to God.
How does one start their journey in seeking a career? A career is different than a job. A career is what you will be doing most of your life. Most of us have had several different jobs along the way to developing a career that has lasted many years. How do you know what it is you want to do with your life? How can you know when you have decided to choose a career it is the best decision you can make and that career is for you?
Normally, I don’t write much about myself but I feel I need to get out of the third party and just give testimony to what God has done for me. My story may enlighten some who may be sitting at the crossroads trying to decide which way to go. I was there once and wasn’t sure what to do with my life. I loved history, and still do, and I wanted to finish my college education with a degree in History. I was on my way and felt good about it as I took one class after another dealing with the history of man. Along the way I started to wonder what I would do with a degree in History after graduation. There are not a lot of options, however, I thought maybe I could teach.
I prayed about it and prayed about it. I fasted and I sought a multitude of counsel. The counsel that kept coming back to me was to give up the history and seek a career in counseling. I really thought they were all nuts. I couldn’t counsel anyone. My desire was to be a Historian not a counselor. As time went on the feeling of not knowing what to do became overwhelming so I prayed again and asked God to inspire my advisor to give me the right answer as far as what to do. His answer was, you guessed it, go get a degree in counseling. I had promised God I would follow my advisor’s instruction no matter what his advice would be.
He also told me to finish up my undergraduate work in counseling and then apply for Graduate School. I finished my schoolwork and graduated with a degree in Counseling. Unfortunately, I was still a little hardheaded. After graduation I tried to apply for several different Graduate Schools to get a Master’s Degree in History. You’ll never guess what happened? No one accepted me. Duh! I couldn’t get in anywhere, let alone get the time of day from some of these schools. It finally dawned on me that maybe I should follow the advice that was given me. I applied for a Graduate School to get a Master’s Degree in Counseling, and I was immediately accepted.
For the life of me, I could not picture myself as a Counselor. Lo and behold, I started taking classes and I graduated with honors after only two years. The great news is I love being a Counselor and I have been able to assist people in turning their lives over to Jesus Christ. I see it clearly now, and I see all of the fruit that has been produced from my efforts and, above all, from God giving me the guidance and direction. I have been able to accomplish far more as a Counselor than I would have as a Historian.
I have experienced that great feeling of being able to look at my life overall and see the many blessings that have come from following and submitting to God. Plus, I know many have been blessed by the work I have done with them as their counselor. Of course, God gets all of the glory. Had it been up to me, I would have gone my way and missed out and yet God knew where He could work with me and He knew the fruit that could be produced. God knows that with you too.
This Great God we call Father knows you and knows your abilities and what you are capable of doing. With Him along side of you what can you not accomplish? The challenge is in knowing what He desires for you. We have to put aside our desires at times and seek Him out. It wasn’t easy for me, but that was because I happened to be more stubborn than most. I am so very grateful that He allowed me that time and worked with me bringing me to where I am today.
Solomon was inspired to write to us and tell us to, “get understanding, and to get wisdom” (Proverbs 4:5). He also told us to seek after these things that it may go well with us and we will walk in the way of goodness and we will keep to the paths of righteousness (Proverbs 2:1-20). Whatever decision we need to make, if we turn to God first the answers will come. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).
Deciding what to do with your life is a major decision, one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Having God with you and looking to Christ for guidance is a blessing you will always be grateful for and you will be able to share with others what an awesome God He truly is. He knows you by name and that is truly a wonderful and comforting feeling.
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