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How can we navigate the job search while maintaining our sanity? What wisdom does Scripture offer about who we are apart from what we do? Today, unemployment is both a spiritual issue as well as a financial issue for many people. Joanna Meyer talks with Matt Thomas of Core Ventures about biblical and practical wisdom for the job search.
On a job loss as spiritual formation:
"When you lose a job, you'll have all kinds of people come to you with advice like, 'It's okay. It's going to be great. Make lemonade out of lemons...' I don't think that's consistent with a theology of suffering or a theology of discomfort; those are great gifts that God gives us. We have a hard time seeing that or even saying that or believing that in the moment. But what happens in suffering or discomfort, at least, is that our sacred cows bubble up to the surface. All of our junk is right in front of us on the table, and we have a choice whether or not to look at it honestly and make some changes."
On hope in the midst of suffering:
"God's preferred path of transformation is not a path of ease, but it is one of enduring hope. We must embed deeply in our hearts and minds that our work, though often filled with tribulations, is one of God's main means for our spiritual growth and transformation. Work is where perseverance, proven character, and hope, are forged in our lives. When we face the formidable winds of workplace trials, rather than running from or becoming embittered by them, we would be wise to lean into them with trust and confidence, knowing that God has allowed them for a reason. Now, often this reason is not fully known by us. But through the eyes of faith, we find contagious joy and enduring hope." Tom Nelson, Work Matters.*
On finding a job or finding a calling:
"People have bought this illusion that the dream job exists and it's waiting for me somewhere. And when I find it, everything that is not currently fulfilled in me will be fulfilled. And unfortunately, some people do find great jobs and love talking about it and spraying it all over the internet. And so, everyone thinks that's supposed to be their story. And if you look back at the history of labor and work, that's just not the case."
Read more from Tom Nelson in Work Matters.*
*–Purchase with purpose. Amazon donates to Denver Institute when you shop at smile.amazon.com.
