Changing Lanes & Changing Jobs

“Stay in the lane where God has you. Run the race set before you and look to God’s Son to help you complete the course. Do not seek to get outside your lane. There is safety here and it is the fastest way to your destination.” – Os Hillman

Track races – whether at the high school, collegiate, or Olympic level – depend heavily on the use of lanes. In shorter races, such as sprints, lanes are used to prevent the runners from bumping into each other. When that happens, an injury and/or a disqualification is likely.

In longer races – such as the 800-meter and the 4x100m and 4x400m relays – lanes are used to ensure that all runners cover the exact same distance. Because of the curvature of the track, staggered starts are also necessary.

When it comes to jobs, it is surprising how often people “change lanes”. Studies show that the average worker experiences 3-7 significant career shifts and holds an average of 12 different jobs by the time they are 42 years old. After that, things tend to slow down a little as people either find their niche, get tired of changing/relocating, or are considered too old by potential employers.

That’s a whole lot of changing lanes and switching gears!

Not counting a few part-time jobs while I was in college and shortly after graduating, I have only held a relative handful of positions. First, I worked as a travel agent for six months, and then I served as the recreation director at a continuing care retirement community for 11 years while I was getting my first prison ministry started. I led that ministry for 24 years – 17 of which were in a full-time capacity – before moving to Florida in 2011 to launch Risk Takers for Christ. Of course, I worked a couple of part-time gigs while RTC was in its infancy, but I’ve been its full-time president since March 2012.

So, I guess you could say that I have bucked the trend or skewed the numbers a bit in my professional career. You see, when I was about 22 years old, I walked the aisle at Haddon Heights Baptist Church and dedicated myself to full-time Christian service. I had no idea what that would involve or what it would entail, I just knew that God was calling me to serve Him vocationally… and so I said “Yes!”

My friend, what is God calling you to do today? Based on the above statistics, it’s never too late to change lanes or make a mid-course correction in life. After all, Peter, James, and John were all fishermen when Jesus called them to follow Him and Matthew was a tax collector. And yes, until He was 30, Jesus worked first as an apprentice and later as a master carpenter in His father’s shop.

“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” And at once they left their nets and followed Him. Matthew 4:19-20 (BSB)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President