Have you ever questioned if you are really planning, studying or doing the career you are supposed to be doing for the rest of your life? I think we all have experienced this at least once in our minds. I think it’s hard enough to make this huge decision for your life, but it's even tougher when you have others feeding into it. For example, you tell someone what you are planning to do and the look at you shake their head and say, “Really?” or “Good luck...” sarcastically. (El. Ed. majors, you know what I am talking about.) The other things that come up are: “It’s hard to find a job," or "You aren’t going to make a lot of money with (insert career here).” If you are going to be a doctor or a lawyer, a thing you might hear is, “You will be in school for a long time.” Maybe you decided to do something other than what your family wanted you to do and they aren’t so fond of the idea.
This is what I believe needs to stop. We need to stop bringing each other down and instead encourage one another. Romans 12:9-10 says, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love.” If we are immediate to bring our opinions about certain plans others have, we don’t realize how much they can hurt others. Even if you don’t agree or think you could do that job doesn’t mean they feel the same way. Let’s love each other sincerely and don’t be so quick to bring others down.
In Romans 12:3-8 it says, “For, by the grace given me, I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” God created each of us so uniquely and has given each of different talents. These gifts play into what careers we all will do. Some are better at things than others and those people are better at different things. Like these verses say, we are all parts of a body and we can’t function without one another, so let’s act like it. I know I can’t handle things in a hospital setting, but I respect and love to hear the passion others have for that career. Our world requires many different careers to serve all the parts of life. So let’s support all of them!
We all have stories and reasons why we want to be what we want to be. For example, I have questioned teaching as my career a lot. Often times when it is overwhelming, God reminds me why I have been called to be a teacher. To watch those kids as they get frustrated trying to solve a problem and watching their face light up once they finally get it right is indescribable. The way that those kids remind me of the child-like faith we are supposed to have teaches me constantly. How they run into your arms to give you a hug and shower you with love that isn’t reserved is a feeling I can’t describe to you. See, these are just a few reasons why I chose the path I am on, and many others have their stories for the career path they are following. So instead of being quick to give your opinion, let’s take the time to hear those stories and watch their passion unfold for the path they are choosing.
