Choosing a Career

Rita Okoroafor’s Self- Evaluation and personal comments from the message “The Law of Making Wise Decisions” by Dr. Creflo A. Dollar

What a treasure I stumbled upon when I listened to the message “The Law of Making Wise Decisions” by Dr. Creflo A. Dollar. Afterwards, I decided to do a Self-Evaluation on choosing a career. Some of the statements below may be rephrased.

To listen to this message you could
1. Download the podcast
2. Go to the site http://www.creflodollarministries.org/Public/Broadcasts/Daily-Archives.aspx and search for the message
3. Or try http://wcci.edgeboss.net/wmedia/wcci/archives/weekly/2008/january_27_2008_the_law_of_making_wise_decisions_vod_56k.wma

Spiritual things to note when choosing a career: -
All my choices should honor God. I do not know about the honoring part, but by the Grace of God, my current job does not dishonor Him.
Money should not be a primary factor when choosing a career. Never was and never will. Any job that causes stress, pain, hurt, etc is not worth it. No comment…

Natural Steps for Choosing You Career
(I only got 8 out of the 10 Steps)
1. Begin with your values. What is important to you and what do you like to do?
Time for family and self is one of my key values.
I like writing, researching, documenting, planning, cooking, teaching children, drawing and dancing. I look for excuses to do something different and add some creativity.

2. Locate your skills and talent. Skills are something you’ve been trained to do. Talents are things you are naturally good at or you are born with.
Great!
Skills: - I am skilled in Petroleum Engineering. Would I say I am skilled in Sales and Marketing after the course I attended? Hmmmm.
Talents: - Writing and drawing and dealing with colors.

3. Identify your preferences. How do you think? Make decisions? Do you like to work alone or with people? Do you like indoors or outdoors?
How do I think? I am always thinking. I use facts, figures, experiences,projections and intuition to support my thoughts.

How do I make decisions? No sentiments attached. I like to think before making decisions.
How do I like to work? Just leave me alone and you’d see the job done in no time.
Do I like indoors or outdoors? Indoors.

4. Experiment and Volunteer to test what it is you think you like doing. Chances are you won’t stay long with it if you do not like it.
This point has triggered me. I have a lot of volunteering to do.
Writing and documentation just thrills me. I always volunteer when I see the opportunity.
I once had the assignment to take care of children during a burial. The ceremony started and finished and no one heard a cry from their child. I put them under control.
Cooking? A joy when I simply cook and share with people.

5. Become broadly literate. Know more about your company (and company of interest). Know beyond your job.
This point is very valid. I once went for an interview and I told the company about itself. The panel of judges was very pleased. I even educated some of them about their company.

Well, if I must grow within my organization, I have to know a lot about it. That is one assignment from now on.

6. In your first job opt for experience first before money. Aim to be successful at the job.
We cannot overemphasize this.

7. Aim for a job in which you can become 110% committed to. Why? Modest to average performances are not acceptable in today’s market. These are the days of downsizing. Start today to look for another job which you can give 110% (if you are not currently in one). Christians need to be so good at their job that companies would call the church and say “Can I have more of them?” Do not use another man’s time to read the bible and pray in tongues. Some firing could be God-inspired, breakthrough answers to your prayers for a better job.
By nature, I give 100% of myself to whatever I have set out to do. If I give below that, it becomes a failure. I am a carrier of the excellence and glory of God. I cannot give less than 100%. However if anything I do ends up seeming like it failed, then I will be very glad to know I gave it my best.

8. Build your lifestyle around your income not your expectations or promise. If after paying all your bills you do not have 10% for tithe and 5% for investment on a regular basis, you are living above your income.
Tithes should come first, no? Let me go check out our budget and see how we’ve been doing with lifestyle and income...

Redeemer

Redeemer: - Hebrews goel; i.e., one charged with the duty of restoring the rights of another and avenging his wrongs. This title is peculiarly applied to Christ. He redeems us from all evil by the payment of a ransom (q.v.)[1]. The debt against us is not viewed as simply cancelled, but is fully paid. Christ's blood or life, which he surrendered for us, is the "ransom" by which our deliverance from the servitude of sin and from its penal consequences is secured.

Redeemer
Strong and mighty Redeemer,
In love and pity you redeemed us
Through your greatness you redeemed us
We magnify You, we exalt Your Holy name, we worship You, we praise You, we glorify You, We adore You, Our Redeemer;

Great and Mighty Redeemer
Redeeming the time
Redeemer of lives
Redeemer of souls
You are the Redeemer that lives;

You have redeemed us from bondage
Redeemed us from iniquities
Redeemed us from the hands of the enemy
Redeemed us from the curse of the law
Redeemed us from death;

We magnify You, we exalt Your Holy name, we worship You, we praise You, we glorify You, We adore You, Great and Mighty Redeemer.

Kinsman-Redeemer: - Male relative who, according to various laws found in the Pentateuch, had the privilege or responsibility to act for a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need of vindication.

Although the term "kinsman-redeemer" is used only seven times in the NIV (all in the Book of Ruth) and "avenger of blood" is used twelve times, the Hebrew verb ga'al, from which both of these terms are translated, is used over 100 times and rendered by such additional terms as "redeemer" or "near relative." The Hebrew term designates a male relative who delivers or rescues (Gen 48:16; Exod 6:6); redeems property (Lev 27:9-25) or person (Lev 25:47-55); avenges the murder of a relative as a guiltless executioner (Num 35:9-34); and receives restitution for wrong done to a relative who has since died (Num 5:8). The unique emphasis of the redemption/salvation/vindication associated with the kinsman-redeemer is the fact that this action is carried out by a kinsman on behalf of a near relative in need. This idea is most clearly illustrated in the Book of Ruth.

God is Israel's Redeemer, the one who will defend and vindicate them. The idea that God is a kinsman to Israel can be defended by those passages of Scripture that identify him as Israel's Creator and Father (Exod 4:22-23; Deut 32:6), Deliverer (Exod 20:2), owner of the land (Lev 25:23), the one who hears innocent blood crying out for vengeance (Deut 19:10; 21:6-9), and the King who has made his covenant with the people (Exod 6:2-8). David, in his use of the term (Psalm 19:14; 103:4), doubtless has in mind the actions of his great-grandfather Boaz (Ruth 4:9-10).

In the psalms God often redeems in the sense of rescuing from danger. In Job 19:25 the term "redeemer" in context refers to God who, as friend and kinsman of Job, through faith will ultimately defend and vindicate him. The same idea of vindication (this time with the term translated "Defender") is used in Proverbs 23:11.

Although the doctrine of redemption from sin is taught extensively in the New Testament, it is not connected closely with the Old Testament concept of kinsman-redeemer. Christ can, however, be regarded as an example of a kinsman-redeemer since he identified himself with us and redeemed us because of our need. Hebrews 2:11 states that "Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers." Jesus is not only our redeemer from sin, but as Hebrews 2:16-18 and 4:14-16 point out, he is a kinsman to us and understands our struggles. Thus he is able to help us in our times of need.[2]

[1] http://eastonsbibledictionary.com/r/redeemer.htm
[2] http://www.biblestudytools.net/Dictionaries/BakersEvangelicalDictionary/bed.cgi