If you need a job

If you are in the middle of the current economic crisis, without a job and wondering where things are going, take heart! Here are some thoughts from my own work experience that might help in finding a prosperous and interesting future.

Several years back I was brought to a complete impasse in my career. I had just lost my job and was totally broke. The very valuable lesson I learned was that irrespective of how bad things were (I was at the point of being humanly unable to do anything because the situation was so dire), God was totally able to put things right.

This demand of having to rely solely on God greatly deepened my trust in Him, and it has blessed me ever since. I learned that if you are at that point, you can actually rejoice because it is time to let God reveal both all the good available to you and His unending care. Biblical authority for such a stance is found in the second book of Chronicles: “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you” (20:17).

Another lesson I’ve learned from the Bible is to be mindful of God’s plan for us, rather than hold to some human conception of what success entails. Being fainthearted on these issues is not going to solve anything, but trusting God can lead to great opportunities.

Once I took a job in an industry I knew nothing about. It was nevertheless a position where I could use my skills and talents to great effect. This would not have happened if I had balked at the opportunity. I trusted that God had guided me to the situation best related to my spiritual growth as well as my career path. And I did grow.

Another thought to keep in mind is that we tend to underestimate how talented we are; we aren’t always open to developing our talents. Our Creator, on the other hand, knows us as perfect, spiritual, intelligent, and endowed with the unlimited spiritual qualities that He gives to all of His ideas. This means that spiritual progress is inevitable, no matter how we may feel about it.

Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Monitor, defined this rule of God, albeit in the context of relying on human friendship for our sense of companionship, when she wrote, “... even if you cling to a sense of personal joys, spiritual Love will force you to accept what best promotes your growth” (“Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” p. 266). In my case this “forcing” occurred when I found myself at one point in my career having to set up my own advisory firm. It was the only way forward. Prior to this event I did not really consider it was something I was capable of doing. Much to my surprise I found not only that I was capable of doing it but of doing it well. The only constraints that existed were constraints I had placed on myself.

It also pays to have a little humility. Even though you may feel there is nothing out there for you to do; even though all you see before you is an empty tableau with no resources, no opportunities, no prospects, and no hope, having the humility to admit that “Soul has infinite resources with which to bless mankind...” as Mrs. Eddy affirmed, puts God in charge (Science and Health, p. 60). Such humility is blessed because it recognizes divine power. Having humility is putting God in the driver’s seat.

Prayer can reveal how your talents can be harnessed and how to use them. Your individual prayers for divine guidance and affirmations of divine Love’s care for every part of your day truly will make a difference.

God is Love and will not leave you comfortless in any avenue of life. This is the truth of your being, and it will guide you into a stable and joy-filled future.

For a Spanish translation of this article, see The Herald of Christian Science.