5 Signs You're Wasting Time in the Wrong Career

When you were between the ages of 18 and 25, if you’re like most people, you made an important life decision. You chose a career. Maybe you went straight from high school into a startup or a trade. Or perhaps you attended grad school. Or maybe you went to seminary. Whatever path you took, and whether it has been five, 10, 20 or 30 years since you made that decision, now is as good a time as ever to re-evaluate. You may be thinking, It’s too late for me to change now. I’ve worked too hard. I’m too involved with this ministry/company/organization. Can I just say? None of that is true. When we’re young, we begin to realize God opens and closes lots of doors. Our dream of becoming a pro baseball player or a marine biologist or a movie star seems attainable. But as we get older, God finesses and fine-tunes and focuses our dreams as He reveals His will for our lives. As the Scripture states, God has a specific plan for our lives, one that He is constantly guiding us toward. Just as in life, God often directs us on career paths we wouldn’t normally have chosen for ourselves. The law student discovers a hidden musical talent. The English student falls in love with engineering. Maybe you’ve always worked for a corporation, but lately you’ve felt God’s leading to jump into full-time ministry. You get the gist. That’s why evaluating your career decision is a vital practice that shouldn’t be overlooked. Start by asking yourself these five probing questions: 1. Does my career enhance or hinder my relationship with God? Over time, stress, fear and anxiety erode our joy. The erosion of our joy, in turn, erodes our relationship with God. Yes, He often uses stressful situations to draw us closer to Him, but sometimes stress and fear are an indication that something in your life needs to change. It might be as simple as requesting to work from home one day a week or asking your supervisor to move you away from noisy or toxic co-workers. Then again, it could mean a complete and total career overhaul. First things first, go to God in prayer. 2. Does my career bring me joy? Ask yourself this question on Sunday night (or the night before your “Monday”) to get the best results. When you think ahead to the work week, does it make you feel nervous, anxious or stressed? Every job has its stressors, and some seasons of a job will be more stressful than others. But bottom line? You should enjoy your job at least 75 percent of the time. Ain’t nobody got time for a job that makes your palms sweaty the night before. It’s detrimental to your mental, physical and spiritual health. 3. Is my career well-suited to my personality, talents and giftings? Do you have a “golden moment” at least once a week? You know what I mean. That moment when the stars align and you’re in the groove and you get the warm feeling that this is what you were made to do. If the thought of that happening to you seems absurd, or if it has never happened to you, it might be time to dust off your resume. Life is too short to miss out on “golden moments.” 4. Do I have motivation to keep growing and learning? You’re never done learning. In fact, you have probably learned more on the job than you ever did in school. When you look back over the last six months, can you count how many times you read an article, attended a conference or had a really interesting conversation about your specific job? It can be challenging to stay motivated to continue growing, stretching and learning. But if the thought of increasing your job skills makes you nauseous … you know what to do. 5. You avoid the question “So what do you do?” like the plague. It’s natural for us to feel proud of the way we spend eight to 12 continuous hours per day. We should be. When was the last time you felt energized or excited to discuss your daily work? Do you tell your spouse about the exciting project you’re working on? Do you catch yourself chatting about your job often, even to people you’ve just met? Do your friends and family tell you your job is perfect for you? If not, that’s a red flag, dear reader. Arguably, no one will love their job 100 percent of the time, even if they genuinely do enjoy it. If you’re simply having a bad day or week, or enduring a rough season in your career, there’s no reason to quit on the spot. And sometimes, God places us in difficult jobs in order to draw us closer to Him, teach us something or put is in the path of someone who needs to know about Him. As 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” But as you evaluate your life … really evaluate it … and ask yourself the introspective questions above, be open to God’s prompting. You might discover He has a bigger plan for your career than you ever dreamed.