It is not so easy to choose your profession, because it will be for the rest of your life and it will determine how you will relate to other people. Besides the fact that you have to choose a profession that you like, that brings you satisfaction and fulfillment, consider that it may be one that will make you the most effective in the Gospel ministry and that will provide you opportunities to gather treasures for the kingdom of heaven. In this post I want to offer some advice on this, i.e. how to choose a profession from the perspective of the Kingdom of God and preaching of the Gospel.
I. Choose a profession that will bring you pleasure and fulfillment
When you are pleased with the work you are doing for others, then other people enjoy what you do and appreciate that you are enjoying working for them. Your joy and passion will mean much when you will share the Gospel with people.
II. Choose a profession that fulfills the needs of people
Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians from the city of Philippi:
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:4-5)(NASB)
Look carefully around you and choose a profession that, in addition to the fact that you will like, it will be useful and helpful to people. In fact, the greatest fulfillment in life you have when you know that you are useful to others. On 14 August 2006, the Ministry of Education and Youth of Moldova announced that there is a lack of 2163 teachers in the schools from districts, towns and cities of Moldova. Here’s what the media writes about this:
The worst situation is attested in the districts Hancesti, where there is a need for a great number of teachers – 118 people, Nisporeni – 72 Cimislia – 71 Calarasi – 69, Cahul – 62, Stefan Voda – 61 Leova – 56, Cantemir – 55 , Soldanesti – 48.
“The education system faces this situation for a long time, because of permanent exodus of teachers working abroad, because of their low salaries and low interest of young graduates to make a career in the pedagogical field “, – said Tvircun, the minister of Education.
The Minister noted that, of the 1515 graduates of teacher training universities, who got scholarship from the government, 1371 received cards to be employed. They, however, do not cover the needs of teachers. Moreover, young teachers just show themselves at the respective institutions, but they do not want to be employed there.
As you see, both teachers in schools and the vast majority of graduates of teacher training universities, thought more about fulfilling their needs and that the government can not provide the salaries they needed. They did not think at the interests of others, namely at the fact that so many children are left without teachers and that, if there is no one to teach them, it lacks them of the future, but also all of us, as a country. You can go to fulfill this great need.
III. Choose a profession that will put you in contact with people
There are different professions. Some give you more contact with people than others. Some professions even allow you to work at home alone. Now, with the advent of the Internet, many people work at their computer at home. For a Christian, it is good to choose a profession that would provide him the opportunity to have continuous contact with people and thus be able to testify about Jesus Christ, about the Gospel and make disciples. A school teacher has so many unique opportunities to make disciples of Jesus Christ!
IV. Choose a profession that offers you opportunities to earn for your personal and your family’s needs
It is good when you can have a support from the mission work you do. But this is not always possible. Therefore, it is good to have a profession that will give you always the possibility to work and earn for your needs. Here is what is written in the book of Acts:
After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth.And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. (Acts 18:1-4)(NASB)
Later, when Timothy came to Paul, he gave the apostle a financial support from the churches of Macedonia, so that he can fully serve in the Gospel. But, because he had a job, it had allowed him to stay in the city and be able to preach the Gospel until he got that financial support.
In the end, there are several application questions I want to ask you. It is good to write them separately on a sheet of notebook and then, throughout the day, to think well and write full answers. This will help you determine yourself better about choosing the profession. So here are the questions … What profession did you think to choose? How much do you like this profession? Why do you like this profession? How useful is this profession and how necessary is it for people now? What needs of people and of the country will the profession that you choose fulfill?
God bless you in this choice, so that it may be for your joy, for the good of people and for the preaching of the Gospel.
Translated by Felicia Rotaru