God Does His Best Work - When Nothing Else in Your Life Works

From someone who is in now back again in the workforce after 2 job layoffs totaling 13 months and 23 days, I believe today’s employment market is the worst I’ve seen in 38 years of employment!

We are all one step away from unemployment - regardless of how educated, talented, smart, conniving, or secure you happen to think your position is!

We are in the “perfect storm" of wrong conditions for sustainable employment at the living wages and incomes that we are accustomed too.

You want to blame something, try these as we brought this on ourselves! Unfair trade agreements, our insatiable lust for cheap goods, keeping up with our friends mentality, unyielding union demands, non-competitive USA products, under-performing executives, managers and employees, accepting the status quo, lack of innovation, pride, arrogance, speculation, sheer greed, self-absorbed interests, obscene corporate profits and so forth.

We have intentionally forgotten and stopped loving and serving God! How sad we have become as a nation of citizens who claim to stand proudly under the Word of God! We are just now beginning to feel the full depth and results of the sub-prime mortgage crisis, business greed, the world economic meltdown, scarcity of credit, breakdown of consumer confidence, historic drop in home values, suicides, divorces, child abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, man versus man, screw my neighbor because it’s all about me mentality plus more that will follow us as individuals and a nation until we change our material focus in life to spiritual life in heaven!

Did you know that Satan controls the world and all that is in it! Do these calamities surprise you! They should, if you base your life in this material world. The question is do you want to base your eternal life on the same premise? I would hope your answer is a RESOUNDING NO!

Yes, it's true that we have to live “in the world” but we don’t have to be “conformed to and part of the world.” Come and let your life’s foundation be focused on The Rock - The Lord Jesus Christ! Trust in Him, read, believe, pray and be baptized for the remission of your sins, so HE can direct and navigate you through this worldly life we will spend a short period of time in.

So, what does this really mean to you and me? It means we HAVE to adjust our expectations, needs, and goals to totally accept God's will for us instead of ours, which may not necessarily be what our own personal desires and wishes are. Tough decision for the ego-centric person isn’t it…but it doesn’t have to be…

Here is a small bit of personal commentary about my situation. I was so angry after my first layoff that I completely tore apart and analyzed my life from top to bottom. I analyzed my everyday actions and reactions, attitudes, friends, commitment to God, family and my responses to them. I questioned whether I took all the opportunities that I had but didn’t use to talk about God, stop the ungodly language, the jokes, and the unbelief that occurred in the office everyday day. I reflected on whether I took the right amount of time to talk, teach, and pray with the lost! Please realize that God would like you to do this everyday of the week!

Over the last 14 months, I prayed on my knees, cried at least three times a week, humbled myself to God, and was so very thankful for the small amount of food and unemployment compensation that God blessed us with.

At 55 years old, my extended periods of unemployment absolutely broke me spiritually and emotionally to the lowest point ever in my Christian life!

Yet, despite the cloud of continued employment uncertainty, I never gave up, cursed, or forsook God, truly believing and praying that He would lead and direct me to another position (which He did) or to let our home business grow and prosper (as He is doing.) I never forgot that God not only works in your life every minute of everyday but; that God, does HIS BEST work with us when we are totally broken and have little to nothing to rely upon in this artificial material world! It is at this point that God starts to rebuild us they way he needs us to be!

When I put all the superficial and unimportant things in my life aside, God instantly and to my amazement took me into His hand, walked with me, comforted me, talked to me through prayer and scripture, and started to lead me to where He wants and needs me to be! Over the last 14 months, I became closer to God than I ever was in my life before (I thought I was a good and faithful Christian before but now I really feel that I am)!

In our short life on Earth, it doesn't matter how much or how little you have (remember the story of the widow and 2 mites). What is critically important is that you give God the first and best of everything in your life: your commitment, love, prayers, time, and yes your money, even when you have nothing! It's a total package deal from God. You can't pick and choose what you want, how often, or how much. I can tell you from my experience that it's very hard to learn how to be humble and content when you have 2, 3 or 4 family incomes or more; but, when those incomes are gone and you pray several times everyday to God that He will provide funds for you to eat and pay your bills, your contentment and perspective in life changes quickly, significantly, and radically! Everything else in life literally takes a back seat…the way it should!

In closing, let me remind you to always be thankful for everything God blesses you with (even adversity, trials and tribulations), worry about nothing, and serve God to your best ability, everyday! Remember, the Israelites, the exodus and the manna and quail that God provided everyday…and what was their response! You are more valuable than the birds of the air that God provides for, so work hard for God instead of yourself!

Don't look at unemployment, sickness, poverty, diseases, sadness, depression, everyday problems, money problems, spiritual weakness or any other negative event in you or your family’s life as the end of the world. Try thinking of it in this perspective…it will change your life, forever!

“God needs to get you to where you don't know where you need to be, yet!”

With this perspective and HIS guidance, God will lead you according to HIS will.

In the meantime, always remember and be a "True and Loving Friend,” as God wants you to be! Take time to visit with, talk to, eat with, pray beside and send messages of encouragement to ALL who need it, regardless of whether they believe in God or not. In doing so, please know that you are God’s Angels who help others to learn, love and grow spiritually during the darkest periods in your life.

May God bless and watch over you always!

Live and be the example that God “knows you can be!”

Stephen M. Seabrook is a summa cum laude Finance MBA and a Manufacturing Production Control Manager. Come seek, find and know the REAL TRUTH about what the Bible says, at http://www.fwbcofc.org. I enjoy spreading the Truth about the Word of God. Turn and commit your life to God, first! Then, see how you can achieve total financial freedom in-spite of our extremely difficult economic times at: http://homeincomeportal.com/stesea490.