WHEN I GRADUATED FROM LAW SCHOOL 10 YEARS AGO, most of my classmates plunged themselves into the corporate rate race, working 15-hour days in law firms. 

Law is a profession that pays well, if you are willing to sell your soul to it. Not willing to pay that price, I took what some would call “the road less travelled”. I entered public service, serving in positions with the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Subordinate Courts and the Monetary Authority of Singapore, before moving out into the private banking sector two-and-a-half years ago as a legal and compliance counsel.  

By the time I left law school, I had already seen the hand of God in my life. I had been working with the youth in Wesley Methodist Church for many years and had served actively in the NUS Varsity Christian Fellowship during my undergraduate days. Deep inside, I knew God had a special calling on my life. As I stood on the crossroads of life then, having to decide which career path I should take, one question resonated within me more than any other: What do I want to present to God when I stand before Him at the end of my life?

I decided then that life was more than money and material success. At the end of my life, I wanted to present to Him a career in which I had given my best, a ministry which had enriched and inspired lives, and a loving and godly family. This to me was a life that would glorify Him. And it was this end-goal which would shape the decisions I would make over the next 10 years. 

One maxim I kept close to my heart was – if you look after the things that matter to God, He will look after the things that matter to you. God was faithful. He opened doors for me to work in jobs that gave me time to serve in church and build a family.

Working with young people had always been my passion. I had the privilege of helping to pioneer the Youth Ministry in Wesley Methodist Church, and seeing the ministry grow to some 500 passionate young people today. Seeing young people grow up in the faith, encounter God for the first time, and step up to God’s calling for their lives gave me greater fulfilment than winning a trial in court.

Working as a lawyer challenged me intellectually, but preaching and teaching His Word satisfied me spiritually. I knew that this was what I was called to do – to be more than just a lawyer. I was called to change the world He had placed me in, in my own small way, with my five loaves and two fishes. 

As I look back over the past 10 years, I have seen Him bless me tremendously in my career, my ministry and my family. Now as I hold my two young children in my arms and ponder the next 10 years, I am filled with hope and optimism that God will continue to unfold His plan for me and my family.

Adriel Loh, a vice-president of a Swiss private bank, has worked with the youth and young adults for the past 15 years.