Looking for job- need advice.

joeswe said:

My family (wife and newborn) live outside of NYC. We have decided that we do not want to raise our children in or around the big city. We decided that we would start keeping our eyes open for a new job elsewhere in the country. We have little requirements other then a preference for warmer weather and of course good schools, nice people and wholesome living.

We prayed that God would open a door to the next stop for our family.

Shortly later, without any provocation, a customer suggested I interview for an opening at his company which is located in the Northern portion of our country. This area is very far from our ideal goal of a warmer weather climate. By the way, I really enjoy outdoor activities and selfishly wish for warm weather to enjoy my pursuits year round.

My wife and I discussed the area, and while it would be a nice place to live for many reasons, we turned down the opportunity to interview because of the harsh winters. Knowing this was the first opportunity that we had been presented, and being in no real rush, we decided to "hold out" for a more exciting location.

It is now nearly a month later and I feel very guilty. Upon further reflection, I wonder if God was opening a door for us that I selfishly closed because it did not fit my ideal area for entertainment.

It likely is not too late for me to call that customer back and ask if the job is still open. Do you think I should be investigating this opportunity that was placed in my lap as it could be God providing a great opportunity for our family or do you think we should trust our initial reaction that we would "enjoy" somewhere else more?

Thank you for any input.

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I have been dealing with similar questions about what God's plan is for my career path and would like to offer some encouragement that I have received from my community group.

First off, your list of criteria is not "selfish" in a negative sense...
Phillipians 4:6-7 says
“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Now of course I'm sure you can agree that God is not a vending machine but one thing I have learned for certain is that he is a very good Father! He cares about the big things--like wanting to live near good schools for your child--and little things--like preferring warmer weather. In making our requests known to God, we are saying to him that we trust that he is a big God who can do anything and still cares for our needs. Now whether or not the opportunity you mentioned is the best one for your family is something only God and the community of believers you connect with can help you discern. We can trust God to open and close the right doors for us, and even make things work towards good when we've stumbled through the wrong one.
Luke 11-13 says
“What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!””
Again, he is such a good father and would never give us a snake or a scorpion when we ask for fish! If you haven't already, I would highly encourage you and your wife to seek God's direction about this together in prayer, and inviting other believers that you are in community with like church leaders and friends will only help you in making a wise decision. I pray that God would reveal his plan to you, and bless you and your growing family.
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Well,
For me, I find being close to at least one family member is so valuable and important!
I'm not for living out in the country, thousands of miles away from the nearest family member.
Children need to see their grandparents!

Warmer weather is very nice, but in the end, I do think God knows your heart, and wouldn't want you to jump on the first open door you see.
Imagine you're praying for a girlfriend, would you sleep with the first woman that wants to "open her legs" to you? (sorry for the rude comparison, just trying to make a point).
At one time I felt like you. I was going to see a girlfriend in Wisconsin, but was like you, unsure.
I paid for a plane ticket, but in the middle of the night, the Lord gave me a dream, in which he simply said "You never consulted me in this".
I thought it was harmless to just go and see her.
Well, in my dream I repented, and cried aloud, and started praying.
What happened next, was only to be attributed as a miracle!
Exactly on the days I was about to visit her, a cold front hit Wisconsin, about 4F; and I didn't have the right clothes for that.(That was January 2015).
The Lord had protected me, and kept me away from her.
Not very long after, she no longer responded to me, and was dating anther guy.

I'm saying, God knows your choices even before you make them.
If you feel guilty, then just spend more time in prayer, including God in the next opportunity; and make your best bet.
Who knows, God has saved you from disaster?

I don't think God's plan is to make you unhappy, so if you wouldn't be happy in the cold, don't go..

I don't think finding the best opportunity is considered selfish. If it was meant to be it would have worked out. Keep looking for jobs online. I hope you find one soon.

Another thing to consider when doors open is whether it's God or Satan doing the opening. It's very difficult to tell, so we have to rely on our gut instinct.
The only surefire way to find out would be to walk through the door, then if we find we're happy we'd know it was a heaven-sent opportunity and not a satanic ploy to lead us up the garden path..

God does mysterious things. If you were meant to have that job you'd be working there now.