‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ How many of us have asked or been asked this question?
Often the response from a young child will be ‘teacher’, ‘footballer’, ‘fireman’, ‘TV presenter’ or ‘policeman’, all jobs children are highly exposed to and responses to potential career choices that many of us would encourage children to pursue. At the tender age of 13, children must take their GCSE options. This can be a highly stressful task for such a young person who loves many subjects, but must choose only a few to continue to pursue.
I don’t know about you, but I still don’t fully know what I want to be when I grow up! I love my current career, but that doesn’t stop me dreaming for the future (mid 30s isn’t that old, is it?)
But I do know who I want to be – I want to be the best mum I can be, to be generous with my time, love and money. I want to give back to my community, work hard, and make daily time to exercise, dance, sing and laugh out loud! I want to be kind to others, I want to be wise and I want to encourage others.
Jeremiah 1:5 tells us how God knew us and had plans for us before we were even created in the womb. Wow. Take a breath and let that sink in. As a parent-to-be, I remember holding my pregnant belly and dreaming about all the things my baby might achieve or experience, but He knows! He has it perfectly worked out.
For me, this verse doesn’t directly reflect a career challenging question, instead it makes me consider how fearfully, perfectly and wonderfully unique we all are. So I challenge you to look at your unique SHAPE:
Spiritual gifts
Heart
Abilities
Personality
Experiences
and take a look at WHO you are and WHO you want to be.
So next time, instead of ‘what’ why not endeavour to ask the question, ‘who do you want to be; what sort of person do you want to be?’
