I remember a guy came by my office one time.
He was 53 years of age. He had a great white-collar position with a really good company. They paid him well, and he had great benefits. However, the economy was changing. This company decided to outsource various jobs, which affected his position.
All of a sudden, this 53-year-old businessman went from having a great paying job to getting laid off and drawing unemployment. He was devastated. He was afraid that he was going to lose his house and that his kids were going to have to drop out of college.
He came into my office distraught, “Joe, what am I going to do?”
I said, “Well, what are you called to do?”
He said, “What?”
I said, “What are you called to do?”
He thought the word “called” only referred to what you did at church, and since we attended the same church he said, “Well, I’m an usher in section four.”
I answered, “No, no, no. What are you called to do with your life? What are you doing here on this planet? Why were you born? Who are you? Where are you going? What are you doing? How do you plan to get there?”
He had no concept. Here was a very successful, white-collar businessman whose entire life and purpose was tied up in a job. It had become his security and his identity, and he didn’t really know what his gift and calling in life was. He had lost a great job, but it was just a job. He didn’t realize that it was his gift that actually enabled him to get that job in the first place, and his gift could also help him get another one.
The Bible says that a man’s gift makes room for him, and the hand of the diligent makes rich (Proverbs 18:16; Proverbs 10:4). The key to being successful in life is knowing what you’re gifted to do and then being diligent with the gift you’ve been given. Jobs and positions may come and go, but your gift will always make room for you.
The Take Away
If you want to move forward in life, you have to take inventory and ask yourself some questions: Is your security and identity wrapped up in your job? Do you know what your gifts and talents are? Are you using them? Are you applying yourself to develop and grow those areas? Where do you want to be in one, two, five years? How do you plan to get there?
