Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand.
With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory. Psalm 73:23-24Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. Psalm 143:10
Emotions can run high with a job loss. They’re much akin to the stages of grief: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
But if you pinch yourself and it hurts, then the worst case hasn’t happened; you’re still alive, and likely no one has died. So it’s better for everyone, especially yourself, to move through the stages quickly, or to skip them altogether, if possible.
It’s understandable, though, to have to right the ship, because we’re human. We’ve got our plans and dreams, and when we are rerouted, it takes time to get to acceptance.
It’d be good if we all were like the Apostle Paul, who was thwarted by God’s spirit from ministering in Asia and Bithynia, and saw a vision of a Macedonian man, and quickly hopped a ship to Greece.
We normally resist change, and when forced to change, it angers us and we dig in.
The Bible addresses these natural inclinations, and offers hope and encouragement. But it also motivates and exhorts when our humanity gets in the way.
Think of Sarah when told that she’d have Abraham’s son. She laughed. God’s response to the realities of age, “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14) I guess we know what The Lord thinks about age discrimination!
Then there’s Elijah, who hid himself in a cave after being used mightily by God. He was despondent and wanted to die! What? He exclaimed, “I alone am left!” God asked the simple question, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:9
And there’s Jonah who resisted the will of God to go to Nineveh, and was beside himself when they repented and the Lord relented. He was fit to be tied. The response from on high: “Do you have a good reason to be angry?” Jonah 4:4
So pull yourselves together. Nothing’s too difficult for God. Get yourself some good counsel and focus on all that God has done for you in the past. Don’t be angry with the hand of God. Don’t slap it away. Let him lead you on level ground.
Trust him.
Enspire U. 