The Best Career Move

In a working environment of calculated employment decisions, this man chose to follow God’s leading.

By John Musgrave

Some years ago, when I terminated my employment with a company, I took time to reflect on the past fourteen years of my career. It had started out with a prayer for God to show me what field of work to pursue. Once I felt His leading to the banking industry, I obtained the necessary training and began my search for a job. Five months later, I still had no job and, on top of that, I broke my right arm. Then a company I had not even applied to called me and asked for an interview. The hiring manager filled out my application for me, and I got the job. I later learned that there were twenty-two other applicants for that same position.

I started out as a bank teller making minimum wage, working part-time hours. But the Lord was with me, and I knew that was where He wanted me. He brought various people my way, and many times I had a chance to give them my testimony. About one year later, I felt compelled to take a position at another branch. To my colleagues looking on, this seemed to be a step backward in my career. And, seemingly to confirm their opinion, after about a month I learned that the branch was closing. I was starting to wonder if I had really followed the Lord’s leading and if I had, why was He doing this? But the Lord gave me the verses in Psalm 75:6 and 7: “Promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” It was that very incident that the Lord used to catapult my career, and in one year I went from being a bank teller to a bank officer.

In God’s hands

A few years later, I was asked to move to a bank branch that was scheduled to close because the former manager was unable to handle the uncertainty of the job. It was not the most pleasant position to accept, but again I left that with the Lord. Well, that branch never closed but the place that the other manager transferred to did! There were many similar times when top-notch employees had their career dreams dissipated only because they were misled in their decisions for advancement and security.

Through the years, working in an ever-changing environment, I saw the Lord’s hand over me repeatedly. I’ve mentioned a few of the times of change in my career, but there were also times to just stand still and wait on God. While others around me seemed to frantically seek for security, the Lord gave me peace. During times of major changes, He was my strength and help. In times of audits, He went before me on innumerable occasions.

The leading of God

When I reflect on how carefully and lovingly the Lord has led me, I think of Him as the Good Shepherd. That brings to mind an experience one time when my wife and I went to Romania. On several occasions we saw shepherds in the field with their sheep. The scene was quite a contrast to the serene image that I had always conjured up in my mind while reading the Bible. These men were rugged and worn by the elements. Their working conditions were brutal. The weather conditions were extreme, with temperatures around 20 degrees below zero. There was frozen snow on the ground, and dense fog covered the terrain. It was apparent that it took great care and effort to daily find food and water for the sheep. The adverse conditions forced these shepherds to remain close to their flocks to protect them from predators.

I thought about how true this has been in my life. The Good Shepherd has stayed close to me. The more adverse the conditions, the closer He has been. I am sure I will never know all the many things He has saved me from when He paid the price for my full redemption and made me one of His sheep. John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” I was thinking how the Good Shepherd continually leads us along. Whatever the terrain is like, He is always near, only a prayer away, ready to meet our every need. Truly, He leads us to the green pastures and still waters of life. In a day where there is so much emphasis on career planning, I can look back and know that the greatest career decision one makes is to follow the Good Shepherd.

John Musgrave is a minister of the Apostolic Faith Church in Portland, Oregon, and is treasurer of the international organization.