Book 3, Chapter 39: That You Should Not Be Too Anxious in Your Business Affairs.
Chapter Focus: I read this during Mass today (Fifth Sunday of Easter) and found it on point to a matter I have been struggling with in my life. Namely, a career change.
Several people I had consulted asked me whether I had prayed about the change. And yes, I had done so. Others asked me whether God was calling me to that change.
That “call” to me is something like Thomas is bringing up in this chapter. I committed the cause to our Lord’s direction and control. I took the item to prayer. I put others into the situation to take the role rather than me, and those people, denying the position, suggested that I take on the career change myself. The next step, therefore, is to mimic the disciple here and offer myself to our Lord completely and without delay.
Thomas doesn’t end the advice from Christ there, however. He tells us that chasing after objectives can be full of selfishness-the romance of the chase. We will find progress through our old friend self denial, and we will find our old enemy, the devil, throwing obstacle after obstacle in our way. The quote from Jesus is that line from the Agony in the Garden, where our Lord asks His closest disciples to “Watch and pray,” and right after He states that “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”
Its that way all along our journey. Our career choices are peppered with failures and missteps. We think we want that promotion, but find that it means more travel and time away from the family. We long for the simplicity of our old job, or find ourselves in envy of some other role in this company or that. Thomas is telling us the focus our efforts on being Christ’s disciple, and committing your career interests to Him. He has a plan. I’ll bet it’s a good one!
Jesus, I trust in You.
Chapter 39, In Short.
1. Commit your cause to Christ, and He will dispose of it properly.
2. Commit freely all things to Christ.
3. We often strive after something we desire, but once we have obtained it we change our mind.
4. True progress lies in following Christ lies in self-denial.
The Text of Chapter 39: That You Should not be too Anxious in Your Business Affairs.
The Voice of Christ:
“My Child, always commit thy cause to Me; I will dispose it properly in due time. Wait for My arrangement of it, and then you shall find it for your advantage.”
The Voice of the Disciple:
2. O Lord, I commit freely all things to You. I realize that my planning does not matter much. Oh if only I did not dwell so much on future events, but 
could offer myself completely to Your pleasures without delay.
The Voice of Christ:
3. “My Child, often you strive eagerly after something you desire, but when you have obtained it you begin to change your mind: your affections towards that objective are not lasting, but rather move from one thing to another. Therefore it is not really a small thing when in small things we learn to resist the self.”
4. Your true progress lies in self-denial. A disciple who denies himself is free and safe. But the old enemy, opposer of all good things, does not cease from luring you into temptation. Day and night he sets wicked snares, in order that he may be able to trap the unwary.
“Watch and pray,” says the Lord, “that you may not undergo the test (Matt: 26:41).