Our answer may be the basis for a friendship, a business contact or whatever. As believers we can get caught up with this and then when we're downsized, laid off, or feel we need to leave a job, we go looking for our next "us," our next job. The thing people remember us by. Pastors can get caught up in "being the pastor" if they're not careful, business people can get caught up with their CEO title, but even the average joe can get caught up in being identified with their job - I'm a teacher, a policeman, a DJ, a secretary, etc...
When all that goes bye-bye, and we are in the searching mode, it can be tough - especially when work just doesn't seem to come no matter how many resumes you put out there. We pray and nothing. When that period of nothing happens, how do we handle it? Do we get bitter? Do we praise God for the opportunity to better ourselves? If we're honest, and I've done this too, we can fall into the trap of getting depressed, angry, bitter, and feeling like you have no identity.
Think about Job. This guy had 10 kids, and was the most wealthy man in the region - then it was gone, so was his health. His wife told him to curse God and die - just get it over with! His friends accused him of sinning. What did he do? He humbled himself before God and praised Him. Not what we would do right? Yet this is the example God was proud of - the response He seeks when things get tough like losing our source of income. God wasn't surprised. He knows what's going on - this is a season, whether a few days, weeks or months (years?). We need to lift our hands still in the middle of it all which can be hard to do - I know, I've been there.
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