Six questions for finding a job that works

As school comes to a close, millions of high school and college graduates are going to throw their hats into the job market.

Looking for the right job can be overwhelming, especially if you’re graduating from college or trying to enter the workforce after unemployment.

God made us on purpose, for a purpose, and with a purpose. That fact should affect the way we chose a job, but how?

God made us on purpose, for a purpose and with a purpose. 

Six Questions to Ask When Navigating Potential Employment Opportunities

1. How will this job impact my time?

You might clock in for 40 hours a week, but where you work affects the rest of your life, as well. The ability to earn money is a gift from God, so it’s useless if you never get to enjoy it (Ecclesiastes 5:18). Will you have time to keep up with your hobbies and be available to serve in the church? Will you have enough time to rest and be with your family or friends?

2. How will this job affect my relationships?

Are you prepared to spend five days a week with your new coworkers? If you’re married, does your spouse support you in taking the job you’re looking at? If you relocate to another city for a job, your friendships and family connections won’t dissolve, but they’ll have to adapt.

3. Will this job keep me financially responsible?

Sometimes we have to work jobs based on what’s available at the time. Some income is better than no income (Proverbs 10:4, 21:25). If your prospective job can’t pay all the bills, at least it can lower them. Adjusting your lifestyle to your income is difficult, but it prepares you for more responsibility later (Luke 16:10).

4. Will this job help my attitude as well as my income?

Some jobs are far from the perfect situation, but it matters more to have the right attitude in any situation (Colossians 3:23). Even if you hate your current job, don’t miss it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Tough work circumstances are a chance to become more like Jesus by having the attitude of service instead of superiority (Matthew 20:26-28).

5. Does this job line up with what God’s called me to do?

If God is pointing you to a specific type of work, do it! You can quit a job, but God’s never done with you. A calling is where burden meets opportunity. If you’re passionate about something, good at it, and you have the chance to do it, that’s probably what God is calling you into (Ephesians 2:10).

6. What will this job mean for my relationship with Jesus?

God will always be more important than any job. At the end of the day, our jobs don’t provide for us; Jesus does. Any position that tempts us to think otherwise could be a problem. No matter what happens in our careers, whether good, bad or worse, Jesus never stops working in our lives.

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