Fear

Fear and anxiety are at an all-time high, or so it seems.  Over and over again, women have shared with me that one of their primary concerns when it comes to growing or excelling in their careers is fear.  Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of making a mistake regarding a potential career move, fear of not being able to meet their financial obligations – all of these fears can have a dominating and paralyzing effect.  Perhaps this is why most people resolve that it is safer and better to remain in a job they hate.  I don’t believe that.

As usual, Scripture has something to say to us about our fears.  According to Scripture, factors that drive fear and anxiety include (but are not limited to):

• A lack of trust in God 
• The desire to be in control 
• Fear of man (people pleasing) 
• An inaccurate understanding of who God is  

In the end, each person must honestly answer the question, “Do I trust God to provide what I need in my life and career?”  The latter part of Matthew 6 addresses this.  God knows what we need.  He provides for His children.  The question is, do we believe this?  When we don’t, fear and anxiety are the natural result.  Yet, we are commanded to not be anxious, but to pray (Philippians 4:6-7), trusting Christ and seeking the things of His kingdom (Matthew 6:24-34).

Knowing God

An improper understanding of who God is and how He operates in the lives of His people can lead to anxiety and fear.  We know from Scripture that God provides for His children.  Since God does not lie (Numbers 23:19), and keeps all of His promises (Joshua 21:45), there is no need to worry about our basic needs.  Yet, a person who lacks a proper view of God may worry, even though it is of no help whatsoever (Matthew 6:27).  We also know from Scripture that God leads and guides His children.  He has not left us to figure out life on our own (Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 32:8, Psalm 119:105).  This includes our careers.

Conquering Fear

Anxiety and fear must be confronted with the truth of Scripture.  We must understand what God has promised to do, and must learn to cling to these promises (2 Peter 1:3-4).  We conquer fear and anxiety by replacing our faith and trust in God. Wayward thoughts are replaced with meditation on Scripture and on what is true (Joshua 1:8).  Scripture clearly calls on us to cast our cares upon the Lord, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).  Likewise, we are commanded to not be anxious about anything, but to pray about everything.  Furthermore, we are reminded to dwell on certain kinds of things – the very things that counteract fear and anxiety (Philippians 4:6-7, 8).  Praying about our careers, and trusting God to lead and guide us, is a great place to start when it comes to conquering fear.

Application for Your Career

It is important to understand that God does not promise or owe us a “dream career.”  And like Paul, we would do well to learn to be content in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.  How we do what we do is much more important than what we do for a living.  That said, there is no compelling reason for us to refrain from striving to engage in work that is meaningful to us if and when we have the opportunity to do so.

God is sovereign, and whatever career decisions we make, He is more than capable of working them out for our good and His glory.  So, even though we are right to strive to make the best and wisest career decisions possible, we can remove from our shoulders pressure to be perfect in this regard.  Furthermore, we can treat our careers the way we treat everything else in our lives.  We can go to the Scriptures, pray, seek godly counsel, and trust in the goodness of the Lord toward us, and in His provision.

If you are experiencing paralyzing fear concerning your career, please know that you don’t have to.  The same God who has provided for you in other areas of your life will provide for you here.  I would love to support you in your career journey.  You can do this!  Reach out today to schedule a free discovery call.