Looking For Better Opportunities

By Chuck Noon
Guest Columnist

CBN.com -- For men, it's human nature to identify ourselves with job and career. Our self-esteem is based upon what we do, our job title. The world daily reinforces this with emphasis on self, status, and the acquisition of personal net worth.

God's model is the opposite. God emphasizes treasure in heaven and dedication to our wives here on earth. "Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her"(Ephesians 5:25).

Marita has followed me in several moves, as I pursued success. While I always had a job, I couldn't quite get ahead. Believing that better opportunities awaited me in Colorado, I became licensed there, took a job, and rented a small apartment.

Marita made the best of it, but it was very hard on her. She couldn't easily move. She has great employees, wonderful friends and is very happy in Albuquerque. Yet, she drove back and forth between Albuquerque and Colorado Springs--five and a-half-hours--almost every weekend. She was stressed and exhausted and had three automobile accidents during that six months.

One evening while I was out walking my dog Harley in the snow, wishing he would hurry up and do his thing, God spoke to me.

Now, God has only spoken to me three or four times in my life in a clear audible voice. So when He does, I listen. God told me "Go home and take care of your wife." This was not what I wanted to hear, as God's direction seldom is. I thought that if I was going to do this, I really ought to be in the same state.

I obeyed and moved back to New Mexico. I took a job that I considered to be way beneath my abilities and education. For a year and a half, I worked in this humble position. During that time, I read the Bible through cover-to-cover, and God went to work where he couldn't before. I didn't look for a better job, but God selected one for me.

Once I put my wife first, not my career or my search for success, I was offered a job in my field that was impressive and paid more than I had ever made. Since that time I have been offered many other positions, and have my pick of opportunities. When I was seeking success and my own interests, success eluded me. When I was willing to do what was best for my marriage (basically love Marita extravagantly) I found the success I worked so hard to find.

While God's way doesn't seem to make sense to the world, it is the best.

Lord, help me make your priorities my priorities. I desire your best for my marriage, for my job, for my life.

Amen.

Used by permission. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.

Read an excerpt from: Love Extravagantly: Making the Modern Marriage Work by Marita Littauer & Chuck Noon

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Chuck Noon is a licensed professional clinical counselor. Along with his wife, Marita Littauer, he has written two books, Love Extravagantly:Making the Modern Marriage Work, and Which Personality is Best To Marry. Through his practice he offers marriage tele-coaching, two day intensive marriage therapy, marriage workshops, and spouse candidate assessment. You can contact him at (800) 433-6633, or by e-mail at ChuckNoon@aol.com.