How to align your career with your purpose

Have you ever wondered how you can align your career with purpose on earth?

It took me years to grasp the wisdom of this, but I hope this post enables you to understand God's will and live accordingly.

Overtime, men have defined purpose based on what fulfills us and what we enjoy doing.

But as Christians discovering our purpose is in Christ, we need to redefine our purpose to live out God's will.

Knowing our purpose prevents confusion and eliminates distractions.

Since our purpose is to grow into the image of Christ and become like him, how can we translate into our daily lives?

How can we apply wisdom and ensure we don't miss out on God's will for us?

Understand that God's ultimate will is Christ

I used to believe working in a particular role was my purpose and assumed my purpose based on the world's definition. I would sit for hours churning out content and stories because I sensed God's call on my life was to write for His body.

Until God called me to wait on Him and leave everything behind. As I struggled in my waiting season, wondering how I would survive without doing what I loved, God spoke up.

"Itunu, I am your purpose."

Right there and then, I felt the shock jolt me into a spiritual awakening and reality of God's truth.

All my life I'd felt doing something for God was my purpose.

I'd grown up believing I was to use my talent for Him and God really needed my talent.

I mean if he didn't need it, why would he put it inside me?

Here's the humbling truth I discovered that day:

God does NOT NEED my talent. And He has every right to choose what he wants the way he wants it.

He also has the right to dismiss my gift and ask me to sit at his feet until eternity.

He is God all by Himself.

My ONLY purpose is to follow Him to the End, regardless of the position or my role. Revelations 14:4

As believers, our first and foremost calling is to become like Christ. This is our end goal. And every path we take must lead to that Destination.

We could make impact and do good deeds, yet miss out on our conformity into Christlikeness.

Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles??’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!

Matthew 7:22-23

Which leads me to the next point.

God’s will is revealed from time to time as we keep following Jesus

Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

Galatians 5:25 NLT

Our goal is to become like Christ and our final Destination is in Christ, so it's only natural that the only person who knows the way is Jesus. This is the essence of being led by God.

There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Proverbs 16:25

We have our own ways and I can assure you that Man's way doesn't lead to God's will. We tend to judge things based on their external value.

It's the reason why we must always be ready to submit our will and ways to the leading of the Spirit.

Without His leading, we will miss our purpose and become less than what God intended for us.

When making career choices, we must seek His will and be led by Him when choosing jobs or a career path.

Purpose is not just a thing, it's a destination

God made man for One purpose.

Himself.

God's intention for making mankind was to have Sons and Daughters like Jesus. So God uses our situations and career choices to build Christ in us.

As we follow His leading in our various careers, he begins to speak to us on what to do and how to handle situations that may come our way.

Our obedience to his leading in our career choices forms Christ in us.

Our purpose is not to be the first black woman or man to run for presidency. Neither is it tied to getting a PhD at a young age.

As believers, our purpose IS NOT tied to anything worldly men can achieve without knowing God. It isn't tied to anything external.

Although God may put us in prestigious positions as we follow His leading, those positions are just a means to an end.

They are NOT the end in itself because all those things are temporal.

They have no eternal value. And they should NOT define us.

This knowledge enables us to be flexible when God is leading us.

When presented with opportunities, we wouldn't make haste but wait to know God's heart about the situation.

We learn to wait on God because our purpose is tied to God's approval, not our needs, innate desires or worldly glory.

You can read my story of how I switched careers from a practicing Pharmacist to becoming an ESL Teacher.

We are God's living and mobile temple

you also, as living stones, are BEING BUILT up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1Peter2:5

In the Old Testament, the Israelites had to travel far to worship God. But in the New Testament, we don't need to do that anymore.

God is so wise and intelligent that He planted His Holy Spirit inside us and our obedience to Him translates to our worship 24/7.

21st century mobile temples. What a genius God!

So this means no obedience, no worship.

Understanding this enables us to put our best into our work.

Just because those things have no eternal value doesn't translate to us being sloppy about it.

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,

Colossians 3:23

The only difference is that we must not work the way unbelievers work. A carnal man sees his career as his purpose so he pours all his soul into it.

Because has no hope in God, he seeks fulfillment from his work and being acknowledged for it.

For such a man, getting promoted means a lot to Him. The End goal of a carnal man is Earthly profit.

He defines himself through his career lens and accolades.

Our purpose is to please God

For believers, our END GOAL and ultimate purpose is God, NOT earthly profit.

And having food and clothing, with these we SHALL BE CONTENT.

But those who DESIRE to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

1Timothy6:8-9

Now don't get me wrong, making profit is good. But doing God's will is better and God will provide for His own regardless of where we find ourselves.

Through God's wisdom, we use the things of this world to reap eternal things.

God's wisdom enables us to give in our best at work without selling our souls.

We aren't to serve our career. They don't deserve our worship, only God does. For He alone can fulfil and satisfy us, not our jobs.

And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marvelled at Him.

Mark 12:17

As our hands work for God in our various roles, we must ensure that our hearts are constantly being led by God, striving to please Him. This is how we align our career with purpose. For no matter how good our job is, it can never satisfy us.

Only God can.

You can read about accepting God's choice in marriage HERE.

Bloom with Love. Xx!