How To Spiritually Prepare For A New Job.

I recently moved several thousand miles for a new assignment in the Navy (again) and am getting settled in at my new location. Over the last ten years I have moved eight times, changed jobs eleven times, and changed positions within a job close to twenty times. I should probably be a pro at moving
by now, but I still get stressed out, excited and a little bit apprehensive when moving to a new job (usually in a new state and always with new people).

For most of us, job moves can be stressful. We don't know what to expect, what the new people will be like or if they will even like us. 

The vast majority of us will have to face this kind of thing sometime (or many times) in our careers. When we do, it is very easy to stress out about all the details of a move such as family concerns, where to live, where kids will go to school (for those who have kids) and all the other stuff that accompanies a move.

But as Christians, our worldview and faith in God should give us a different perspective than the average person; we can look at a move or job change as a new opportunity to grow in our relationship with God and a new place to serve him. I like to think of it as a new assignment from God for me an ambassador of Christ. 

Once I find out that I'm going to a new job, I start praying about what God might do there. I ask him to prepare me emotionally, mentally and spiritually for whatever challenges and opportunities he might have for me. I pray that God would prepare the hearts of the people I will be around to hear and respond to the Gospel. And I ask that he would help me to find a good church and some strong believers to partner with when I get there.

Praying this way helps me put things in the right perspective and reminds me that as a Christian, my allegiance is first and foremost to Christ (rather than to the Navy). It also reminds me who is really in control and gives me more peace and confidence during an otherwise stressful process.  

If you are facing an upcoming "big move" or even a small job shift, start talking to God about it and invite him to guide and lead you through it. 

If you were able to truly trust God during the stressful changes in your life, imagine how it could change your outlook during those times and increase your peace and sense of purpose. 

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. II Corinthians 5:20a

Related Posts:
I'm too busy for that.
Why your future shouldn't stress you out. 
Can you see what God is doing?

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net