Does God direct us away from certain careers?

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SpiritInfused

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I’m a university graduate and I’ve worked hard to make it in a certain career only to have one improbable event after another sabotage my career. The latest involves a phone call with a very rare opportunity being made to me when I was away and then the message getting garbled beyond recognition. By the time things were straightened out, the opportunity was lost.

Is it possible that God simply does not want me to get ahead in this line of work? If so, why would God do that? And how can I possibly know what I’m supposed to do?

Yes, yes, I know. Prayer. I’ve prayed and attended mass and tried to be attentive and it hasn’t really lead to any great revelations. Quite frankly, I’m just sort of confused and lost and feeling abandonned by God.

Anyone have any insights?
 
SpiritInfused said:
Is it possible that God simply does not want me to get ahead in this line of work? If so, why would God do that? And how can I possibly know what I’m supposed to do?

Anyone have any insights?
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  1. No insights into your particular situation, sorry. 😉
  2. Yes, it’s quite possible.
  3. Why? Perhaps because he has something way better in mind for you.
  4. May I suggest that sometimes God allows us to struggle with such decisions (discernment) in order to either strengthen our resolve to do one thing or another or to get it through our thick skulls that we’re supposed to do something else.
  5. Discernment sometimes takes time…years, maybe.
Be patient, pray. Answers will come. 👍 He won’t abandon you.
 
It may well be that God is saying something to you. But don’t presume to know what it is.
I used to have an excessive supernatural outlook. You can be too supernatural you know.
Just be patient and your right opportunity will come. We’ll all have eternity to ask God WHY?
 
SpiritInfused said:
I’m a university graduate and I’ve worked hard to make it in a certain career only to have one improbable event after another sabotage my career. The latest involves a phone call with a very rare opportunity being made to me when I was away and then the message getting garbled beyond recognition. By the time things were straightened out, the opportunity was lost.

Is it possible that God simply does not want me to get ahead in this line of work? ?
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maybe but it would take a lot more than a couple of coincidental accidents to convince me of that fact
 
SpiritInfused said:
I’m a university graduate and I’ve worked hard to make it in a certain career only to have one improbable event after another sabotage my career. The latest involves a phone call with a very rare opportunity being made to me when I was away and then the message getting garbled beyond recognition. By the time things were straightened out, the opportunity was lost.

Is it possible that God simply does not want me to get ahead in this line of work? If so, why would God do that? And how can I possibly know what I’m supposed to do?

Yes, yes, I know. Prayer. I’ve prayed and attended mass and tried to be attentive and it hasn’t really lead to any great revelations. Quite frankly, I’m just sort of confused and lost and feeling abandonned by God.

Anyone have any insights?
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You have to trust in the love and will of God. Everything that happens to us either happens because He directly wills it or because He permits it–and He does both because He loves us. All that he wills and permits He does for our sanctification.

We must have uniformity with God’s will–if we do not have material success or “get ahead” we must acknowledge that it is for the good of our salvation even if we don’t understand right now (that is what faith and hope are all about). Sometimes, wealthy and successful people (in the worldly sense) have many more occasions for sin and failure. Likewise, unsuccessful people in the worldly sense have more opportunity for hard, sanctifying work, humility, and pure love of God for itself, and not material blessings.

Anyway, just do the best you can with the information you have and remember that God loves you and the what seems hard now will one day produce the greatest fruits far exceeding the trials required to achieve them 👍. Our hope is in eternity 🙂
 
Genesis315,

Can you tell me a bit about your own experience, that is, what you were facing and how you resolved it within yourself?

Thanks
 
SpiritInfused said:
I’m a university graduate and I’ve worked hard to make it in a certain career only to have one improbable event after another sabotage my career. The latest involves a phone call with a very rare opportunity being made to me when I was away and then the message getting garbled beyond recognition. By the time things were straightened out, the opportunity was lost.

Is it possible that God simply does not want me to get ahead in this line of work? If so, why would God do that? And how can I possibly know what I’m supposed to do?

Yes, yes, I know. Prayer. I’ve prayed and attended mass and tried to be attentive and it hasn’t really lead to any great revelations. Quite frankly, I’m just sort of confused and lost and feeling abandonned by God.

Anyone have any insights?
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Whoa, the story with the phone call is pretty gnarly. I would say that is either one monster coincidence or Yes, God didn’t want you in that job.

That doesn’t mean he will sabotage that career all-together. But, maybe that particular job or opportunity was going to be detrimental to your faith, so God vetoed it.

Keep on the path, I can only imagine if God does not want you in that career, you won’t get a job and you will be forced to move on.

Ever think maybe God wants you for a more personal career with him? Cough Priest Cough

Oh yeah, and pray.
 
Well, if God didn’t want me to have that job, then how do I find out what He does want me to do?

So far, I haven’t had any flashes of the blue about what that. And time is running out on how long I can keep trending water with what I am doing. A little direction would be nice, if you know what I mean.

Incidentally, that’s not the only time weird things like that have happened to me. At one point, in the same career, I spent about a month on the road, armed with resumes, knocking on doors and looking for work while someone else held down the fort at home to get my messages. Finally, my funds got down so low that I didn’t know what to do.

I remember praying in my car, telling God that if it wasn’t His will that I have a job in this field that I’d accept that but that I needed something because I did need money for basic things. Like food and shelter.

After I prayed, I picked up the paper from the town where I was at that moment and there, in the classifieds, was an ad for a job in my field some three hours drive away. I had only enough money for either a week of food or to stay in a hotel one night and buy gas to get to the job. I chose to go for the job and landed it within a few hours of arriving in that community. That night, the company put me up in a hotel and I started working the very next day.

I sometimes wonder if I would ever have gotten the job if I hadn’t adopted the attitude towards God that it was okay even if I were to do something else and that I wanted Him to guide me.
 
At the risk of sounding like a self-righteous nut or some unrealistic flake living in never never land, I will say two things:

(a) There are no coincidences in life. Everything happens for a reason. Everything. Although we don’t often (usually) know at the time…

(b) Ask Saint Joseph for help.

This is a novena I have relied upon probably the most.

ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/joseph.htm

Saint Joseph is the patron saint of workers, and he is the 2nd most powerful saint, after Mother Mary.

Saint Teresa of Avila said this:

“I only beg, for the love of God, that anyone who does not believe me will put what I say to the test, and he will see by experience what great advantages come from his commending himself to this glorious patriarch and having devotion to him.”

dailycatholic.org/stjoseph.htm

I would say the same thing. Saint Joseph has never let me down. Never. Not once. I’ve been through some really close calls here at work, like potential career-busters, and he has always guided me through. And for my friends as well. And in return, I try and be generous with my earnings, because I really feel like every dollar I earn now is because God gave me such opportunity.

If you read what Saint Teresa said above, she’s almost daring you to try it.

So am I. I dare you. What are you, chicken?

🙂

Honestly, try it. You have nothing to lose…
 
Yes. I’m a chicken.

🙂

But I find it interesting that you should point me to St. Joseph. My favourite Catholic site of pilgrimmage is one devoted to St. Joseph, mostly because of the respect and admiration I have for the man whose veneration for St. Joseph led to its establishment as a holy place. I also have in my home a few Roman Catholic things, a crucifix above the mantle, a bust of the Virgin Mary - and a small statue of St. Joseph.

Maybe someone has been trying to tell me something all along.

I will certainly look over the links you’ve posted and I thank you for taking the time to bring this to my attention.
 
SpiritInfused said:
Yes. I’m a chicken.

🙂

But I find it interesting that you should point me to St. Joseph. My favourite Catholic site of pilgrimmage is one devoted to St. Joseph, mostly because of the respect and admiration I have for the man whose veneration for St. Joseph led to its establishment as a holy place. I also have in my home a few Roman Catholic things, a crucifix above the mantle, a bust of the Virgin Mary - and a small statue of St. Joseph.

Maybe someone has been trying to tell me something all along.

I will certainly look over the links you’ve posted and I thank you for taking the time to bring this to my attention.
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Well, I’m happy to hear you are open to trying.

The first link → 9 days, not more than 10 minutes per day. That’s 1.5 hours total.

The silent saint will never let you down.

It’s not superstition, it’s a declaration of faith.

I will also include you in my prayers, because I started that very 9 day novena yesterday, actually (!)…
 
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