Thriving Through Career Uncertainty: A Biblical PerspectiveSample

Discovering Purpose in Every Season

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” - Ecc 3:1(ESV)

Seasons of waiting are hard. They often feel unproductive, frustrated, or even discouraged. But what if the waiting is just as necessary as the doing? What if the in-between moments are shaping us for something greater?

David’s story is a powerful reminder of this truth. Before becoming king, he spent years as a shepherd, alone, tending sheep, facing rejection, and enduring a seemingly endless season of waiting. Yet, in that time, God was preparing him. The solitude built his character, the battles strengthened his courage, and the waiting deepened his trust. He was ready to step into his calling when the time finally came.

Nelson Mandela’s story echoes this same truth. After spending 27 years in prison, he could have succumbed to bitterness or despair. Instead, he embraced the waiting. Those years shaped him, giving him the wisdom, resilience, and vision to lead his nation toward reconciliation. His time of waiting wasn’t wasted; it was preparation.

I, too, experienced a season of waiting. After completing my undergraduate degree, I applied to a prestigious Master’s program and was accepted. This led to a fulfilling job at Siemens. But when my children were born, I chose to step away from work to fully embrace motherhood, knowing it was a season I couldn’t get back. For years, I believed that returning to work would be impossible.

However, God had other plans. Years later, a lecturer from my alma mater challenged me with a simple question: “You wasted a seat from the prestigious university...Why aren’t you working?” Her blunt words stirred something in me that had been dormant for too long. God opened doors for me to return to the workforce. Through this, I rediscovered my passion for technology and realized that those years of waiting and preparation were essential to where I am now. God had used that time to refine me for a career I love.

Waiting is never wasted in God’s hands. He works in the quiet and the stillness, shaping us for what lies ahead. Every season has its purpose, even when it doesn’t make sense to us at the time.

Steps of Faith:

• List Three Skills or Lessons You’re Learning Right Now – Even in waiting seasons, God equips you for what’s next. Recognize what He is teaching you.
• Use Today to Serve in a Small Way – Find one way to impact your current season, whether by mentoring someone, volunteering, or improving a skill that aligns with your purpose.

Prayer: God, help me to trust Your timing. Even in seasons of waiting, I know You are working in me. Let me be faithful in the present, knowing that You are preparing me for what’s next. Amen.

Go Further...

• What season of life are you currently in, and how do you think God is working in it?
• How can you make the most of this season, even if challenging?
• What lessons have you learned from past seasons of waiting?