It is not an accident that I am unemployed. I truly believe that God orchestrated it, or at the very least allowed it, as an instrument to help mold me more toward his image. Because of this, it feels worth remembering and recording what the Lord has been working to help me learn during this time of unemployment.

Habits

Setting good habits is so critical. You end up becoming your habits. For example, if I want to be a healthy person, I must eat healthy as a practice and habit every day. I can’t diet for a short while and be healthy. I must make it a daily habit. And so it goes, that we become our habits. I gained this insight from the book titled “Habits of the Household” by Justin Whitmel Earley. In it he states “we become our habits, and our children become us.” This statement has helped me to appreciate what Ashley my wife has been telling me for years – our habits matter and are important. Lord help me to set and keep good habits regarding my sleep, food, exercise, screen time, smartphone, and anything else you determine is good.

Be Grateful

So much has been removed or taken away from me in the last year. I left the home we remodeled, gave away all of my stuff, gave away my car, got rid of my smartphone, lost my job, had no laptop, and had no money. It’s truly been a remarkable change. While I do mourn some of the things lost, most of them I can see have actually profited me to lose. It’s caused me to go without for a period. The other day I needed to get home and didn’t have a ride. I walked 7 miles to get there in the heat. It took a long time. Going without a car and seeing the difficulty in walking from place to place has made me thankful for vehicles. I’m still able to use our family car sometimes (though I share it with Ashley and the kids), and for that I am so grateful. I hope that this season of the stripping away of things will not cause me to think about what I don’t have, but rather to give thanks for what I do have. Lord, may that be my habit – that I continually give thanks for what I have and am content, knowing that everything I have has been given to me by you and that I am blessed to have it.

Don’t Think Too Highly Of Yourself

It is a constant desire in my heart to be thought highly of by others. It is also a constant desire to see myself as better than others. I think about myself too much, and I think too much of myself. Within my desires is a neediness, insecurity and pride that can only be satisfied and set right by seeing Christ correctly. All my needs of affirmation, love and security can be found resting in him. Also, God in his mercy sometimes allows us to be humbled so that we are more like him. It’s hard to think too highly of myself, as if I’ve somehow attained a level of success that exceeds my peers when I’m unemployed and don’t have a car at age 40. It’s easy when you have much to begin to believe that it was my wise choices, tremendous skills/abilities or something else unique about only me, that is the cause of my “success.” Lord, may I always credit you for all that I have. Lord help me to “value others above [myself]” (Phillippians 2:3).

Rest

I am a finite human. As much as I’d love to believe I can do anything if I just work hard enough, I simply can’t. For example, I cannot swim to the bottom of the ocean. I cannot fly to the top of a mountain. These are somewhat silly examples, but they prove the point that I can’t just do anything and all things. Along with finite ability comes the necessity to rest. We go to bed at night to sleep and be restored for life the next day. We are also commanded by God to rest 1 day per week (“honor the sabbath day”). While it may seem obvious, rest is not something I have practiced well. I either work too hard, not resting, or I lazily neglect responsibility to avoid the pain/suffering of work. God’s design is that we work hard when we are supposed to work, and that we rest in Him (worship, awe, quiet, celebration). Rest, when done in obedience and trust for the Lord is so necessary and so good. “Rest” for the sake of neglecting responsibility is not good.