I left my boss’ office . . . or should I say former boss’ office deflated, dejected and emotionally in a tailspin. You see, my career in the first half of my life was in the homebuilding and land development industry. That industry is traditionally boom or bust . . . and when it is good . . . it is very, very good. And when it is bad . . . it’s awful.
This day, it was decided by the higher ups in my company to change the direction of the company and my position would no longer be necessary . . . I had been laid off!
I went home and after explaining to my wife why I was home so early, I set to work getting my job search underway. The first call I made was to the executive recruiter who had found this position for me; Jaquie. I have always had the utmost in respect for Jaquie as she was a strong Christian and a lady of very high integrity.
“Sounds like you’re having a James 1 day!” Jaquie said after hearing my story. Not being that familiar with James 1, I responded with something lame like “uh yeah, I hadn’t really thought of it that way.” After I hung up the phone, I looked up James 1 and read it with renewed interest here is what it said:
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1: 2 – 4 NIV
At first I was frustrated with Jacquie; Wasn’t this like praying for patience?!?! I didn’t need perseverance or to be complete . . . I needed a job with income for my family!
But God worked on me and helped me to understand a lot about that verse. It is now one of my life verses. You see, I finally came to realize just how true this scripture is (like all scripture isn’t true!). I guess a better way to put that is that as I began to embrace the meaning of the scripture in my life . . . it really helped me to mature just a bit more into the man God created me to be.
You see, when we look at our challenges in life not as inconveniences to us or something that a judgmental God has chosen to punish us with we begin to realize who God is. I began to understand that He is always there, working behind the scenes to make us more like Christ . . . to make us more content in our own skin . . . with our own circumstances. When we understand that God didn’t cause this difficult time in our life but will use it for good . . . our good, then we are beginning to come more in alignment with who God wants us to be.
After all, as Christians, we all want to be mature and complete don’t we? And that takes perseverance . . . and perseverance requires the testing of our faith. Darn, don’t you hate it when that happens?! But that is just the way the God set the universe to spin . . . the sooner we embrace God’s economy and stop fighting it . . . the sooner we start to be mature and complete . . . and . . . content.
Oh, and about the job, I had a new one in a couple of days! Not that I found a new way to manipulate God . . . but when I focused on God and what He wanted me to do in my life rather than my selfish desires and wants . . . a blessing was a by-product!
OK . . . perhaps I will take perseverance and being complete. Thank you god for helping me to get this straight . . . again!
Thank you for reading!
Blessings,
Our Walk of Faith 