When we’re looking for a job
Starting our career or finding a job can be daunting when it seems like no one will give us a shot at proving our value. But is finding the place that’s right for us dependent on luck, fate, connections, networking, or “getting your name out there”? Surprisingly, no. I’ve learned that finding our right place is dependent on God, the singular, divine power that’s unfolding every right idea in our lives.
When I was finishing my fashion education, I was required to work an internship. I called on a roster of fashion design houses from A to Z. No one would give me a call back, because I was a student without three-to-five years of industry experience.
I was attending Christian Science Sunday School at the time and had learned that I could turn to God in prayer for help in any situation. I knew God would give me the answer. Through my prayers, I was led to look at companies in a different county of my state. When I did, I got an interview!
During the first two minutes of my interview, a senior designer walked into the room and told the woman interviewing me that she had to hire me. This designer had recognized me and my work from a student fashion competition held a couple of weeks earlier. I was given a tour of the building and secured that internship.
The day after I started my internship, the assistant for the teenage brands quit. I was hired as her replacement, and my career took off from there. The opportunities for growth – for sharing my abilities and learning from others – continued at this place of employment for many years.
I’ve learned through Christian Science that God created us, His image and likeness, entirely spiritual, with every beautiful ability and the inspiration required to perform any task. God wouldn’t give us talents without also providing an avenue for their expression in the world. God’s law of supply and demand ensures that whatever we are able to do, create, and contribute to, is needed, appreciated, and sought after.
If we feel burdened or pressured about finding a job all on our own, we can remember that we’re not doing it alone. Christ Jesus revealed that God, good, is giving us the inspiration and direction we need. God is governing, and we can trust Him.
If we’re feeling stuck, it might be helpful to think about expecting to see good daily. We may ask ourselves, “Am I expecting supply or a feeling of purpose to come only from a particular job?” As we understand more about God’s infinite goodness, we can actively see and experience God’s expression of beauty, form, outline, usefulness, and purposefulness all the time (see Mary Baker Eddy, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” p. 247).
And whether we’ve landed our dream job or are still waiting to hear back from an employer, we can experience God’s goodness – and share it – in ways that meet our own and others’ needs.
Hindsight might clear up our questions as to why there seemed to be a delay in finding our next opportunity. When we look back, we will see that every detail of God’s provision was completely timely and perfect and unfolded in a way that benefited everyone. This unfoldment isn’t a once-in-a-lifetime event; it’s ongoing, and we see the fruits of it countless times in our careers.
This particular experience reminds me of this passage from the Bible: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11). Our “expected end” is a solution, a healing, a better understanding of our purpose. With total confidence in God’s love for us, we can expect to see the unfoldment of our next right opportunity.
Adapted from an article published in the Christian Science Sentinel’s online TeenConnect section, June 11, 2024.
