DOES GOD WANT YOU TO LEAVE YOUR JOB AND DO SOMETHING ELSE?

Several years ago I got really worried about "God's will for my life." I was (and still am) in the Navy and had to make some career decisions that would either set me up to get out of the Navy or help me continue to progress in my career. I agonized over this for a whole year, spent lots of hours praying, read books about it, and generally did everything I could to try to figure out what God wanted me to do. But I didn't hear anything. God had gone quiet...or at least, I couldn't hear him.

IS IT BETTER TO MAKE A SMALL COMPROMISE IN YOUR FAITH OR GET FIRED?

Last week I heard about a US Marine who was court-martialed for hanging a scripture verse on her computer monitor. When her supervisor told her to take the verse down, Lance Corporal Sterling refused. She was convicted and given a bad conduct discharge. Her case went before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Services last week. There are a lot of strong opinions on all sides of this case. But opinions aside, it got me thinking about the idea of standing up for my constitutional rights versus giving in to the desires of those around me (be they an authority, peer, or otherwise). I wondered what I would do if I were faced with the decision to compromise my faith in order to obey an authority.  

WHY BEING A "GOOD" CHRISTIAN MIGHT BE DANGEROUS

I couldn't believe they wouldn't let me go. My High School church youth group was going on a missions trip to Mexico and my parents said it was too dangerous. There were reports in the news of child abductions, gang violence, and other general bad stuff that parents guard against. But I still found it difficult to understand why they wouldn't allow me to go on a "Church Missions Trip." While that was a long time ago, I have never forgotten it. Before I go on, please know that I recognize that my parents had a responsibility to keep me safe and were authorities that God had placed in my life. That being said, I think they unintentionally taught me the wrong lesson. They valued my safety above all else.