Question:
My post cut from another thread, but something I've been needing advice on
"On what career to choose:
I realise it isn't a binary choice between 'Godly' and 'non-godly' career but I feel the parable of the talents (actually any parable involving stewardship of some sort) is directly relevant here. In these parables, all those who didn't use the abilities God/the master had blessed them with, perished. Shouldn't this be the basis from which we choose careers, ie one which allows us to fully invest our God-given abilities to serve him? Realise I use the term 'serve' loosely, it does not involve becoming a preacher, but it should definitely involve a career choice glorifying to God.
Anyway, thoughts on this would be helpful because I see no other way to interpret these parables."
Answer:
Well, God gave you desires and special abilities for a good reason. He wants you to use them. You are very right in your assessment that serving God has very little to do with "full-time ministry." Many people who go into full-time ministry really do so in error. They mistakenly think that to serve God you have to be a 'minister'. The truth is that we are to serve our employer, do whatever it is we do "as unto the Lord" (Col 2:23)
So, do you know what it is that you really enjoy? I don't mean sitting around reading novels necessarily, but what is it that you really enjoy doing. That's a real hard question. Most people don't have a clue and end up just 'getting by' in an occupation. Figuring out what that is needs to be your first step. How to do that? Some do it by attending some sort of schooling, some do some testing, some do it by trial and error. Often, the latter works best. We figure out what we like to do when one day we realize, "Hey, I'm having fun here," and it's a productive thing that they're doing.
Ask yourself, "What would I be doing right now even if I wasn't being paid to do it?"
Sometimes the calling that God has on our lives is a primary occupation thing, often it's a secondary thing. A secondary occupation is not always a paid occupation, it's something we do because we love to do it. My wife and I do that, we have a ministry called Healing House that we do in our own time, I play the guitar for worship, we both minister to people and couples in different ways when asked and, well, we have day jobs. I'm fortunate in that I enjoy much of what I do during the day as well (I'm a Veteran's Employment Counselor/Representative for the state.) My wife isn't quite that fortunate, she doesn't like her work all that much but at times she really gets inspired.
So, find yourself an employment counselor, spend a lot of time in your prayer closet and start trying things out. Maybe consider spending some time in a school setting to expose yourself to occupations you've never heard of before and keep your spiritual ears on. Do keep my first sentences in mind. He didn't make a mistake when He designed you. He has a reason for putting you where you are.
Be blessed
Bob
Spearfish, SD
Answer:
Thanks Bob, that gave me a lot to reflect on. I've been thinking about this for a while and I'd like to go into something where I can use my literary skills, I'm going to Cambridge in October to study English so I thought I'd like to develop my creative writing skills while I'm here at home and see what happens.

But I'm not sure I get your primary/secondary occupation distinction. Surely God wants us to serve him 100% of the time, in fact the passages where Jesus speaks of worry explicitly state not to worry about financial security . Instead he says to 'seek his kingdom and all these things will be provided for you as well'. How can you (or this is probably more relevant to your wife, from what you've said) justify being in a full-time job where you don't feel you get to serve him all the time?

One more query - the above parables make me feel like I have to 'do' something good to get God's approval at the end, like the workers who invested their talents well. Don't you find this contradicts with the whole idea of grace - that we can't do anything at all for salvation? Yet here, we're being told to use what we have for good. As you can see, I'm pretty confused.