Dear BPCWA worshipper, In learning how to pick a job, we are using the acronym PICK. We saw that P is for “Priority”.  As a Christian, a job is secondary to seeking God’s kingdom as a priority. While it may sound hard and “idealistic”, this is simply what the Bible says. God is Supreme and must be the priority in every Christian’s life. So He must be the priority too, when it comes to a job. Having established that, we will look at the rest of the acronym to learn more.

I is for Impact. Having settled in your heart the priority, the next question is to check how does the job impact your seeking of God’s kingdom and His righteousness? Can your being in this job glorify God? How will the job impact you? Our work can have a tethering effect ie can be a rope or chain that restricts us. In mobile phone usage, it can drain our spiritual batteries! Using the acronym, TETHER, let us remember the principles. 1) Time. How does the job restrict my time for spiritual pursuits? Obviously, if it takes me away from my worship of God and spending the Lord’s Day for Him (except in essential services required for saving lives), it breaks the 4^th commandment and fails both the Priority and Impact criteria. But besides that, will it help me to continue to grow more than I was as a student, or will it hinder me from attending the Bible studies/fellowships and prayer meetings to support God’s Kingdom that I used to be regular at? 2) Energy. How does this job impact my energy? Will it negatively affect my intimacy with Christ because I will be too exhausted all the time for my quiet time and communion with Him? Even if I do not have to work on Sundays and am able to attend the church meetings that I used to, does this job take up so much of my energy that I am too tired to either go to church or be attentive at church during these meetings? Is the nature and expectation of the job such that I will be so bogged down that I will not want to serve Him, be delinquent in my service, or even give up my areas of service? It is not to say that Christians should be afraid of hard work and just seek easy-breezy jobs. But I am talking about expectations that are such that even if I tried and did my best, I will still not be able to maintain and grow my spiritual walk and service to God. 3) Temptations. What temptations will I be faced with? We pray weekly that we will not be led into temptation, but yet we may be going into an area where we’d walk willingly and readily into temptation. Of course, we cannot be free from temptations. But know yourself, your weaknesses, and don’t think that you are “above” falling in that area, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1 Cor 10:12). If you tend to be proud, avoid a job that requires you to perform to seek the attention and applause of man. If you are prone to covetousness, avoid a field that always encourages you to think of gaining “more and more”. If you struggle with vanity, don’t be in a job that is continually about glamour and beauty. Herein is where the world’s philosophy is different from a Christian’s. The world will tell you that if something is what you want and is what “you’re good at”, then so you should “go for it”. The Christian must be more concerned about falling spiritually. Often, a spiritual decline is needed in exchange for making one very successful in the world. Again, I am not saying that success means sin. A godly Christian can be successful as willed by God. But the question is – am I seeking success in a job at the expense of living for Christ? 4) Heart. How will the job impact my heart and love for God? “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matt 6:24). A job that demands that I pour every drop of my heart into it will be like a disease that will gnaw away at my love for God. A job is for our daily bread. But many Christians’ hearts want more from a job than that. 5) Ethos. How will the ethos (the intrinsic culture, character and spirit) of the company affect my witness, beliefs, and doing my job? If I have to give my energy and service in a job every day to promote an ethos that is against what the Bible teaches, it will slowly strain. I will begin to need to compromise my Christian stand and beliefs, just so as to keep my job. For example, can I be comfortable working in a religious institution that promotes, teaches, and supports the ecumenical movement, modernism, and the social gospel? If we are honest, we will begin to slowly imbibe some of these values when we hear about them every day, and will likely be asked to engage in these activities too. In time, I will want to be part of such movements, and despise biblical separation as being too traditional. 6) Routine. Putting it all together, how will this job affect, on a regular basis (as is the demands of a job), your time and energy, and especially your church life? 

C is for Check. This is where our personal responsibility comes in. Simply because it is an open door doesn’t mean that we should always walk through that door. 1) Do your research. What is the nature of the job? What are its products and services? 2) Ask people. Seek the godly advice of mature Christians grounded in and whose lives are obedient to God’s Word. Find out more about the job by asking people in that line so that you can understand more about the impact of the job upon your spiritual life. 3) Attend interviews to find out about the job, not just to get the job. Find out the facts, such as why did the previous person leave the job? Ask about things like the company philosophy, culture, ethos, the work hours, expectations, and the amount of travel involved. Find out if this job will mean that you will never be able to attend some things that may be important to you, for example, Family Camps. Check your heart, because the heart often is already skewed towards what it desires. Put all the facts together in a spreadsheet very objectively. Some Christians may all too easily be led by their heart and need of the moment, rather than by their head in applying Christian principles. Schools will teach graduands to ask about things like prospects, salary, promotions, learning opportunities, promotions, and to pursue after big, reputable companies for the sake of experience and a good resume. Instead, God tells us to “approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ” (Php 1:10). Also, some Christians are apt to just go into a line of work because they saw their parents do it or even because their parents want them to do it. Or some Christians think that because they like doing something and seem to be good at it, then that should naturally be their choice of job and career. The best bakers and cooks may not necessarily be professional chefs. Good musicians need not necessarily be pursuing a career in music. Interest in photography does not mean you should be a photographer. Check, check, and check again – objectively with the “PIC” discussed so far, based on Christian principles. These can be a hobby – they don’t have to be your job.

K is for Kneel. Perhaps by now, you’re wondering – will I ever be able to find a job, if I apply such stringent criteria? “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Php 4:6). 1) Pray. We can only do so much in terms of personal responsibility. We must realise that God is Sovereign over all. And this being so, when we pray that God will “lead us not into temptation”, our hearts must not desire to be in a place of temptation. Confess to God if you’ve sinned and be honest with Him in prayer. He can open the windows of heaven, or He can shut it. 2) Submit to God. “Thy will be done” is easier said than done. But ultimately, we must put aside personal lust and agendas. Tell God about it and face up to it if your heart is raring to go in a direction against God’s will. Learn to have faith in God, even when it seems like you won’t get the job. Don’t do things to try to get it when God shows you otherwise.

Ultimately, a job, just like in every aspect of your life, is about faith. Faith that following God is the best, simply because He is your LORD. Remember that He knows you and the future best. And each Sunday, remember that He is “Our Father which art in heaven”. He cares for us. But even in our job, in life, or in death, we must hallow His Name and do His will. Ultimately, what we must humbly ask for is the daily bread that He will provide according to His will. If you need a job, and if you are willing to submit to His criteria and serve Him with all your heart and energy, a job is in His Sovereign Hands.  The LORD that says “that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” (2 Th 3:10) is also our Father who says

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Mt 6:33)

Yours in our Lord’s service,
Pastor