For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

—Jeremiah 29:11

No matter who you are or where you find yourself at this very moment, you’ll likely have reached a point where you question what your purpose in life is. You might be going down a career path that feels unfulfilling, or maybe you have only just begun to search for your purpose in this world. Either way, rest assured, God has a plan for you. We all have a purpose, a destiny, that God has given us. We may not know what that is, but if we have faith in God to guide us, then we will follow our destiny. The 19^th- and early 20th-century American politician William Jennings Bryan said, “Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.”

The Christian theology is in support of a divine destiny. That is, God has a predetermined plan for each one of us. For instance, in Jeremiah 1:5, God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” This shows us that God had a pre-determined plan for Jeremiah and has a plan for all of us. This also implies that the birth of a Christian is not an accident, but pre-planned for the purpose of God. The Reformation-era theologian John Calvin believed in predestination that God has an unchangeable decree from before the creation of the world that he would freely save some people while others would be “barred from access to” salvation. Calvin took the idea of God having a plan for us too far. Yes, God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, but He gives us free will to follow the path He has chosen for us.

God created us with the ability to make our own choices and decisions. People live with the consequences of whatever choices they make. Proverbs 16:3 tells us, “Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.” If we follow the teachings of Christ and trust in the Lord, then we will find our path. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. We should all understand that our lives are full of unlimited possibilities. We just have to trust that we have divine guidance to know those possibilities. We have to believe that there is a place for the will of God, but also, there is a place for personal choice. For us to fulfill our destiny, we must make the right decisions and choices. 

We don’t have to make these decisions in a vacuum. God puts people in our lives to help us find that destiny. The astronomer Galileo Galilei said, “You cannot teach a [person] anything; you can only help [them] to find it within [them]self.” Not only must we trust that God is sending us on the right path, but it is also our obligation to help others follow their own path. We can do that by encouraging others to follow the Word of God and the teachings of Jesus.

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

—Matthew 7:12

In 2022, Harvard Business Review published an article by Irina Cozma, “It’s Time to Stop Following ‘The Golden Rule’” In it she writes, “It’s time to adopt a “New Golden Rule:” Treat others as they would like to be treated. It’s a small change, but one that can make a huge difference. All it takes to put this new mindset into practice is understanding, curiosity, and compromise.” In a way, she has a point. She says, “In our modern workplace, with all our different preferences, cultural backgrounds, professional disciplines, ages, genders, sexual orientations, etc., treating others as you would like to be treated isn’t always the best option. Although it can be helpful to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, doing so can actually lead to making assumptions based on your own perspective — not theirs.”

My issue with this is if we are truly following the Golden Rule, then we are not making assumptions about other people. Matthew 7:1 says clearly, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” When we make assumptions about people, we are making a judgment. If we truly follow Christ’s teachings, we will not judge or make assumptions about other people, but instead, we will treat them as we want to be treated. We do not want people to make assumptions about us; therefore, we are commanded to not make assumptions about them. People outside the South may hear my Southern accent and automatically assume three things: 1) I’m dumb, 2) I’m racist, 3) I’m a Republican. None of which is true. In the South, people would hear my voice and automatically assume I was gay, but while that was true, I didn’t always feel comfortable with that assumption. And if you’re wondering, people in the North don’t hear my “gay voice;” they only hear the Southern accent.

I was thinking about this last night and this morning after I saw a clip on Instagram from the comedian Karen Mills (@karenmillscomedy). I love Karen. She is so funny, without being raunchy, which has its place sometimes, but Karen is just clean fun. She just discusses everyday life in the South. Most of it, I can absolutely identify with, which makes her so funny. Karen also does some motivational speaking. She is a cancer survivor and had a near-fatal car accident. She often uses humor to help people who are facing hardships. Occasionally, she can also be very serious. This clip from a Ted Talk is one of those times, and she says everything else in this post that I would say, just better than I would say it:

And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

—Exodus 33:14

It’s been a long two weeks of constant work. I spent yesterday trying to get caught up and preparing for my class this week, and I will spend some of today doing the same. When I think about rest, Matthew 11:28 usually comes to mind: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Sometimes, we do need to look to God to give us the rest we need.

Work, especially if it’s work we love, gives us a sense of purpose and well-being. Genesis 2:15 tells us that God created us for work, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” However, it is not healthy to work all the time. There are times when we can become consumed with work, leading to increased stress, and straining our relationships. This is how I have felt these last couple of weeks.

God calls us to take a break from work. He gives us a day of rest each week. God set apart the seventh day as a holy day, to help us enter God’s rest and experience restoration, though Christians now take the first day of the week for rest. Some of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were so concerned about keeping the Sabbath, they prevented any form of work from taking place, even healing those who were suffering. Jesus corrected this misunderstand of the Sabbath on several occasions (Mark 3:1-6; Luke 13:10-17; John 9:14). Mark 2:27 teaches people that “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

The Sabbath is a gift of God’s grace, that helps us to experience life more fully by setting apart time to reflect on God as the center of our life. God is the one who provides for us. He is the one who heals and restores us. He is the one who saves us from our sin and invites us to share in His rest by placing our faith in the finished work of our savior, Jesus Christ. Hebrews 4:9 says, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.”

When we rest in God, we deepen our relationship with Him. We increase our dependence on God for both His material and spiritual provision. Glorifying God should be the central aspect of both our work and our rest. God promises that if we turn to Him for rest, He will restore our souls. The beginning of 23^rd Psalm in verses 1-3 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Sometimes, we need God to remind us to rest.

P.S. Even Isabella could tell I was tired and needed rest, she let me sleep until 5:30 this morning.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

—Galatians 3:28

At the end of his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963, civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. alludes to the apostle Paul’s words in Galatians 3:28. This verse seems to strike an almost modern note about human equality. Contemporary interpreters have updated Paul’s statement and added pairs to the three original ones: “neither gay nor straight,” “neither healthy nor disabled,” and “neither black nor white.” While these creative rewritings make Paul’s statement speak to new situations, they also highlight something about the original: These three pairs must have been as relevant in the first century as the additional categories are today.

This ideal of unity that Paul shared with his contemporaries was influenced by cosmopolitanism, a popular philosophical idea in the early Roman Empire. Cosmopolitanism’s main component was the conviction that all people are first and foremost citizens of the cosmos (universe) rather than of their local communities. This shared cosmic origin was thought to connect all people with each other and with the divine, and it suggested that all people could live in a unified society rather than be divided into different ethnic and geographic communities. Cosmopolitanism had implications not only for contemporary ideas about ethnic differences but also for ideas about the positions of slave and free and about marriage and the relationship between husband and wife. It, therefore, affected all three of the pairs mentioned by Paul. Galatians 3:28 envisages a social ideal of harmony and connection, where those factors in society that create division and conflict have been removed.

If you look up Galatians 3:28, you will see many people try to tell you that this doesn’t actually mean what it clearly says. They say it is taken out of context, yet Paul continues to say this over and over. In Colossians 3:9-11, Paul writes, “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.” Romans 3:9 says, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.” In 1 Corinthians 7:22, Paul again says we are all one in Christ, “For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave.” 

Again, in Ephesians 6:8, Paul removes any distinction in mankind, “Knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.” In this verse, he tells the Ephesians that it does not matter who you are, but if you do good, then the Lord will accept you for any other way you might be identified or might identify. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Romans 8:38 says, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come.”  Like the other passages, this message is for all people, including LGBTQ+ individuals.

Many anti-LGBTQ+ people who call themselves Christians will claim that we are not born with same-sex attractions, and even if we were, God made a mistake. However, God does not make mistakes in his creation, and God did not make a mistake in creating LGBTQ+ people. Psalm 139:13-14 affirms that God made us the way we are, “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. Sexual identity and gender identity are components of our very being and are part of who God made each of us to be. All people have been intentionally created by God, including LGBTQ people.  Isaiah 43:1 tells us, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.”

On this Labor Day weekend, we should remember that we are all equal and should be celebrated. Labor Day is a day to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the work and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States. It is also a call for equality. On September 30, 1859, at the Wisconsin State Agricultural Fair, rising politician Abraham Lincoln answered the elitist vision of a society dominated by a few wealthy men. “The prudent, penniless beginner in the world, labors for wages awhile, saves a surplus with which to buy tools or land, for himself; then labors on his own account for another while, and at length hires another new beginner to help him. This, say its advocates, is free labor—the just and generous, and prosperous system, which opens the way for all—gives hope to all, and energy and progress, and improvement of condition to all.” 

In Lincoln’s worldview, everyone shared a harmony of interest. Ultimately, what was good for the individual worker was good for everyone. There was no conflict between labor and capital; capital was simply “pre-exerted labor.” Everyone was part of the same harmonious system except for a few unproductive financiers and those who wasted their wealth on luxuries. In the same way, we are all part of God’s harmonious system. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

The Bible cannot only be applied to what was the social structure or understanding of sexuality in ancient times but also should be extended today to include everyone, “neither gay nor straight,” “neither healthy nor disabled,” and “neither black nor white.” We are all one in Christ, and He demands that we understand and strive for equality and acceptance for all.

When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

—Mark 2:17

I’m not feeling great this morning, and I was thinking of how Jesus is known as “The Great Physician.” He is called this for several reasons, not least of all because of the many miracles of healing He performed during His earthly ministry. The Bible tells us in John 6:2, “Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were sick.” He healed many sick people in the cities he traveled to. But Jesus wanted more than to heal their physical bodies. He wanted them to believe in Him.

When we read the four gospels in the Bible, we see many accounts of miraculous healings that Jesus performed. He healed people from leprosy (Luke 17:11-19), paralysis (Matthew 9:1-8), blindness (Matthew 9:27-31), deafness (Mark 7:31-37), and other illnesses. He cured many people (Luke 4:40). He even brought three dead people back to life: the son of a widow (Luke 7:11-17), the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:21-24, 35-43), and Lazarus (John 11:1-44). In John 4:48, He once said, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” All the signs and wonders Jesus performed had the purpose of proving that He was the Son of God, the promised Messiah. John 20:30-31 proclaims, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

A clear example of the purpose behind the miracles is His healing of a man born blind (John 9:1-41), a miracle that no one had ever heard of before (John 9:32). John 9:33 tells us that the Jews knew that “If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.” That’s why the Pharisees did everything they could to dismiss this miracle, up to the point of excommunicating the main witness (John 9:34). They knew, if they admitted that Jesus had done it, they would have to admit that He was the Messiah. So, they kept on refusing to believe the evidence because they didn’t want to believe in Jesus (John 9:39-41).

During His ministry, Jesus didn’t heal only people’s physical bodies. He cared for the other aspects of their ailments as well. He knew what they needed besides getting rid of their sicknesses. For example, when Jesus healed a man with leprosy in Matthew 8:1-4, He first touched him. We don’t know for how long that man had been sick. Due to the strict laws regarding skin diseases, we can assume that, for the duration of his illness, no one had ever touched him, until Jesus did. Leprosy is spread through touch, and Jesus’s touch was the first physical contact he had had in a long time. Jesus also told him to show himself to the priest and follow what the Law of Moses determined that he should do in that case. The procedure would allow him to be socially and religiously active again. After the priest confirmed his healing, he would be able to go to the Temple, to move back inside the city, and to touch and be touched. He would have his normal life back. It was not only about physical healing. Jesus took care of this man’s emotional, social, and psychological needs as well.

The Bible mentions other aspects of the mind and the heart that Jesus takes care of. For example, He takes care of our anxiety. First Peter 5:7 says, “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”  He gives us peace (John 14:27), rest (Matthew 11:28), and joy (John 15:11). He gives purpose to our lives (Philippians 1:21) and makes us part of His family (John 1:12). Every good thing that we have and everything we need comes from the Father through Him (James 1:17). Jesus also gives us the respect we deserve in this life. No one can take away our faith because they say LGBTQ+ people are unworthy. He gives us the love so many of us need in this life. He wants us to be part of his family, and it is through Christ’s teachings that we can make the world a better place.

Jesus never promised to heal every sickness we have in this life. We will inevitably experience suffering (John 16:33), but Jesus wants us to be healed and saved. That’s why He died and was resurrected. The Bible tells us that, one day, we will meet with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:17). He will give us an immortal body (1 Corinthians 15:54). There will be no more sickness, no more pain. We will be free from all suffering (Revelation 21:4). And we will enjoy eternity in His glorious presence.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables.

—2 Timothy 4:3-4

I saw someone post this Bible verse on Facebook. The thing is, I know this person is an ultra-conservative Southern Baptist and Republican. If you have read my Sunday posts, you know that I firmly believe that most people who consider themselves Christian today are anything but Christian. They do not follow the teachings of Jesus. They make up their own doctrine based on picking and choosing what they want the Bible to say. They “turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables.” I have seen this particular woman make a spectacle in a restaurant forcing everyone sitting with her to hold hands, bow, and have someone say a prayer before anyone can eat. This happens to be one of my pet peeves with pious acting Christians because in Matthew 6:5-7, Jesus says, “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.” Jesus then gave us the model prayer, also called the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13):

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and
the power and the glory forever.
Amen.

Another person I know on Facebook posted that there was no such thing as a progressive Christian, because the Christian religion never changes, and thus, it cannot progress. They could not be further from the truth. First, with each translation of the Bible, the Christian religion changes to suit the translators’ own beliefs. I tend to use the New King James Version (though it has the same issues as nearly all modern translations) because it is closest to the beautiful language of the King James Version (KJV) with only minor changes to update some of the works, such as “find” for “findeth.” I do not use other versions because they are worse translations than the KJV and purposely chose to place the word homosexual in passages that were never mean to be about homosexuality. The KJV is not without its issues either. It is a highly political translation used to fit the beliefs of King James I of England and the theologians and biblical scholars who used their translation to cement the validity of the Church of England. It was also translated in a way they thought would appease the Puritans who wanted to purify the Church of England of any remaining vestiges of Catholicism. However, they did translate the Bible from its original languages: the New Testament was translated from Greek and the Old Testament from Hebrew and Aramaic. Newer translations are often translated from the texts of various translations, most notably the Revised Standard Version (RSV), not the original languages.

Since it was first published, the RSV has been controversial. The RSV is the authorized revision of the American Standard Version, published in 1901, which was a revision of the KJV, published in 1611. It is this Americanized version of the Bible that introduced the addition of the word “homosexual” for the first time on February 11, 1946, in the RSV. In it, their translation of 1 Corinthians 6:9 (Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind [KJV]), they substitute the word “homosexual” for the Greek words “malakoi” and “arsenokoitai.” Previously, the KJV had translated this to be “abusers of themselves with mankind.” However, earlier translations of the Bible had used various words for pederasty or more directly translated, “boy molester.” The ancient world condoned and encouraged a system whereby young boys (8-12 years old) were coupled by older men. Ancient Greek documents show us how even parents utilized this abusive system to help their sons advance in society. So, for most of history, translations thought these verses were obviously referring the pederasty, not homosexuality! In the Old Testament of the KJV, Leviticus 18:22 is often quoted the most to condemn homosexuality. Whereas in English translations it says, “Man shall not lie with man, for it is an abomination,” the German and other languages say, “Man shall not lie with young boys as he does with a woman, for it is an abomination.” The fact is not only were the translators of the RSV lazy, but they were influenced by politics of the day. The vast majority of pastors in America today have also not done their due diligence on this topic either.

So, when mainline Christians claim that progressive Christians are too liberal, it is because of their own bigotry and laziness that they have that attitude. Intellectual laziness or willful ignorance is most often the cause of bigotry no matter how someone tries to hide it or excuse it. Furthermore, people who condemn progressive Christians do so because what they consider “progressive” Christians are just Christians, who more closely follow the Bible and what it actually says instead of picking and choosing what they want the Bible to say as most mainline Christians do.

Sometimes, I don’t know why I log into Facebook. I do so to keep up with some of my friends from grad school and former coworkers, but I have found myself “unfollowing” more and more people these days. I don’t like to unfriend people, though I have in the past, and I used to just “snooze” them for 30 days, but after snoozing someone for what seems like the fourth or fifth time, I just unfollow so I don’t have to read their hateful posts. These days, I log onto Facebook for information about Star Trek from the groups I belong to, and cat videos. I know it sounds pathetic, but sometimes I am bored at work.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

—1 Samuel 16:7

I know on this blog, I post pictures of beautiful men. I had trouble trying to find the right one for today’s post. We all have our own preferences for beautiful men. When I was younger, before I realized I was gay, I would look at beautiful men and think, “I want to look like that.” I wanted to have the beauty and body of the men I saw in magazines. That was what I told myself: it was only admiration. And while admiration was certainly a part of that, it was also a feeling of lust, something that many Christians believe is a sin. As I grew older and examined myself, I realized, I did not have the same lust for women that I had for men. In fact, I was not attracted to women, no matter how hard I tried. We all enjoy aesthetic beauty, especially that of men. Does it mean that the person is beautiful on the inside? Does it mean that we focus too much on appearances than a person’s inner beauty? Yes, we probably do. But should we? No, we shouldn’t. However, it is part of human nature. So, I post images of beautiful men because we all like to look at them. We may not all agree on what constitutes beauty, but we can agree that there are many attractive men out there in the world. The question is, are they as attractive on the inside?

We’ve all met a physically attractive person before. Beautiful or handsome, we are stunned by their appearance. Sometimes, however, when we get to know that person, their character or personality makes them less attractive. Perhaps they are prideful or annoying in some way. Maybe they are cruel or insensitive to the feelings and needs of others. Whatever it might be, this person we thought was attractive is now repugnant to us. Character is more important than anything else. A person can have a modicum of talent and still enjoy great success due to their work ethic or other positive traits. It is also possible for the most talented individual to never accomplish anything due to laziness or entitlement. Despite knowing this, we still want our celebrities to be beautiful or handsome. We want good-looking people in ads. As much as it might be changing, we continue to deal with impossible standards of beauty in media. It is human nature, and we might say, to look at the surface first. To “judge a book by its cover,” so to speak. As I said, I am guilty of this.

In the above passage from 1 Samuel 16:7, God has sent the prophet Samuel to Bethlehem, telling him that among the sons of a man named Jesse, God will anoint a new king. In 1 Samuel 16:6, when Samuel sees the first son Eliab, he said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!” God replied, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God judges our hearts, not our physical appearance. It is the inner person that is what is truly beautiful or ugly. Our hearts are capable of so many thoughts and feelings, reflections of the complexities of God. We should not fall into the trap of believing that our looks are to be a source of pride or envy. 

Our true beauty should come from the inside, not from the outward appearance the world often judges us on. In 1 Peter 3:3-4, Peter says, “Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” Peter may be talking to women in this passage, but it is advice for all of us. In Matthew 23:28, Jesus said of the scribes and Pharisees, “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Sadly, we see similar things today with many religious leaders. However, modern religious leaders and politicians not only do they say things that are hypocritical, but also they say things in a way that is very unchristian, yet they wrap in the veil of Christianity.

Physical appearance has its place and is important to God in that it reveals the glory of His creative abilities. So we should appreciate the beauty God has given us as His most complex and amazing creation. In ways we cannot understand, we reflect His own beauty. God places some value on appearances; if He did not, we would all look the same. It is not a wrong thing for us to notice and appreciate physical appearance as well. However, outward appearance should not be our only focus. If the reason we try to be the perfect weight, wear the best clothes, have facial treatments, etc., is to impress other people, then our physical appearance has become a matter of pride. First Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” While vanity may cause us to alter our outward appearance, our bodies are a temple for God, and we should take care of it.

Nonetheless, we should be humbly aware of our appearance and do so for our health (even mental health of feeling good about ourselves) rather than acting to conform to the world’s standards. Matthew 23:12 says, “And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” James 4:6 says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Sometimes, we feel shame in the way we look. The author J’son M. Lee wrote, “Shame is the demon that keeps many of us trapped in our pain; healing comes when we gain the courage to confront our demon(s).” One anonymous author wrote, “May we each find in ourselves the courage we forgot we have, to see the beauty we forgot is inside us, while battling the demons we forgot we can slay, on a battlefield we forgot we can win.”

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

—1 Peter 5:7

The Bible gives us some guidance on making decisions, and God provides profound wisdom for making choices in our life. Remember the advice of scripture to rely on the guidance of God when facing big decisions. Proverbs 3:5-6 advises us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Likewise, Philippians 4:6-7 tells us, “Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.”

When I pray, I often ask God to guide me on the path that He has chosen for me. I think there are times when I should have listened to what God was trying to tell me, but I failed to do so, and it did not turn out well. Other times, I have felt a great certainty in my decisions, and I believe that God is pointing me in the right direction. I can only trust in God that he will not lead me astray and will help guide me in this life so that I may find my true purpose.

On Friday, I mentioned that I was taking a quick trip down and back from Boston. I did so because I had a job interview, but I wonder if this is the right job for me. While I would love to live in Boston, I am not sure I am ready to move. I have a job with responsibilities I really like doing. I have a doctor who, for the first time in my 45 years, I feel comfortable discussing anything with, and I like him. In fact, I don’t dread having to go see him. I trust him to do what is best for my health. Likewise, I have a neurologist who is working with me to provide the best treatment for my migraines. While I know I could find a migraine specialist in Boston, I feel like my doctor was like finding a golden needle in a haystack. I honestly wonder if I could find gold again.

I like my current job a lot, but there have been issues with who I work with and who I work for. Besides that, Vermont may be a very LGBTQ+-friendly state, but there aren’t a lot of gay men. It seems that lesbians and transgender individuals (and more trans women than trans men) are the majority, and for as LGBTQ+ friendly as Vermont is, there are still a lot of closeted gay men. It makes it difficult to find a long-term romantic partner. It’s hard to meet men here because there are so few.

The Friday interview was just the first interview in the process. I thought it went really well, but one never knows what the other candidates’ resumes look like. The director I talked to said she would finish the first round of interviews, and then she and her senior staff will look over the resumes together before deciding who to bring back for a second round of interviews. It’s still early in the process. I’m also not sure this really is the job for me, the job I’d want to move away from Vermont for. The pay is not as great as I’d live, but it is more than I am making now. However, Boston is more expensive than Vermont, and I’d need that extra salary. I’m just not sure it’s enough. It would be a step up in my career. I would be going from being a curator to being one of the museum’s directors. Plus, I’d be working at not only one of the most historic places in Boston but in the whole United States, and I’d be doing real historical work on the foundation of American democracy.

I’ve applied for other jobs in or near Boston, and this isn’t the first one that I had an interview for. That first interview was for a job that paid significantly more, and I do think I’d be able to live comfortably in Boston for that salary. However, I have not heard back from them since that first interview. So, while I know I am worrying about something that may not ever become a choice, I don’t want the choice to be given to me without having given it due consideration. Whatever I decide, I know I can trust in the Lord to point me in the right direction.