Decisions! We face them every day.
Some are minor, requiring little thought or concern, such as, “What spread should I put on my toast?” Others are more significant and require careful consideration, such as, “Should I spend this much money on my child’s school laptop?” Regardless, we live in a world filled with overwhelming choices. It can be crippling to have to deal with decisions.
“The decision about which career to pursue is a monumental choice for today’s young people, and one that they often feel a desperate need to discuss with those around them.”
Careers are no different. The website CareerPlanner.com lists over 1,200 different types of jobs, ranging from avionics technicians and caption writers to diagnostic medical sonographers and green marketers (who plan and implement campaigns to promote sustainable products and services). The decision about which career to pursue is a monumental choice for today’s young people, and one that they often feel a desperate need to discuss with those around them. It’s a daunting world, and our youth are putting tremendous pressure on themselves to ‘get it right.’
When discussing significant decisions with your child, it’s important to focus not on the outcome of the decision itself, but on the values that are important to them. Instead of asking which subjects they should take or what job they should aim for, ask them what they hope to achieve from these subjects and what their desires or goals for work are. By establishing meaningful criteria, the options and decision-making process can become clearer.
I read in my devotional book a few nights ago that God does not generally give us direct, specific answers to our prayers. He is unlikely to whisper the exact job we should pursue or the precise subjects we should study. However, He does grant us sound judgement and wisdom. Proverbs 2:6 (NIV): “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” There is an element where we need to seek wisdom from God and then step out in faith, trusting that He will make a way regardless of the decisions we have made in the past and the obstacles we are yet to face. Living in this space not only gives us more confidence moving forward but also more freedom from fear of the unknown and the opportunity to trust God in action. Decisions? Bring them on!
Carly Brouwer - Careers Co-ordinator