Which Way?

Is the Lord Jesus Christ being abundantly satisfied in your life or have you got a spiritual strut on? Never let common sense obtrude and push the Son of God on one side. Common sense is a gift which God gave to human nature; but common sense is not the gift of His Son. Supernatural sense is the gift of His Son; never enthrone common sense. The Son detects the Father; common sense never yet detected the Father and never will. Our ordinary wits never worship God unless they are transfigured by the indwelling Son of God. We have to see that this mortal flesh is kept in perfect subjection to Him and that He works through it moment by moment. Are we living in such human dependence upon Jesus Christ that His life is being manifested moment by moment?

Oswald Chambers

So, I am right now being pulled in a couple of directions.

I have made it through the second round of interviews with a major electrical/datacommunications supply company for the position of receptionist/general office manager. The company is reputable, there is room for advancement, and the pay will allow us to pay our bills and get a new vehicle for Mark, but any other projects on the horizon would have to be put on hold yet again.

On Monday, I submitted an application for a position with the Solano Board of Education for the position of Executive Assistant to the Superintendent. It would combine all of the skills I have acquired both in education and administration. Almost tailor made for me. Although I have not yet been called for an interview, I felt really good about the application process. AND, the pay is such that all of our financial concerns would cease to exist.

The question I have been battling is: "What if Rexel offers me a job, and then the Solano Board of Education calls?" I've pondered this a great deal (you know how I like to ponder) and have sought outside advice, and the answer I have gotten most is that I have to think of my family first, and even if I take the first job, if something better comes along, I should take it. It is tempting to believe this, but deep within myself I have felt that if I take the job with Rexel, I am making a commitment that should be honored for at least as long as it would take to repay them for the time/money spent to orient and train me. It will be different if the job just doesn't work out, or other circumstances intervene, but I shouldn't just trade one for the other because the pay is better.

I called my sister, Becki, this morning, and just basically laid it all out for her. I told her of the two jobs, and the advice that seems overwhelmingly in favor of quitting one for the other if necessary. Her response was, "What does God say about this?" Without hesitation, I replied, "Let your yes be yes, and your no be no."

Common sense would dictate, that all other things being equal, I take the job that offers the most money, even if I have already begun a different job. But as Oswald Chambers so eloquently points out, common sense is not the gift of His son, Supernatural sense is the gift of his son. Yes, from a worldly point of view, I would be foolish to not take the higher paying position, even at the cost of letting the lower one down. However, if I am indeed transfigured by the indwelling Son of God, it would not be the right thing to do.

All of this to say, that this morning I was able to be completely honest about the dilemma I am facing, both to myself, and to the branch manager with whom I was interviewing. No decision on either job has yet been made. Heck, I haven't even been called for an interview for the executive assistant job. However, I am at peace that if and when the time comes for a decision, my yes will be yes, firmly. I have gotten out of the way, so that God can get to work. It may be that neither of these jobs is for me, but still, the lesson, I think, has been learned. Peace is a good feeling...