Good Friday morning! A very spring-like rain shower is dominating our weather this morning, and we are grateful to God for the moisture. Friday seems like a good day for encouragement. As the LWF devotional reminds us, we are to encourage each other in our daily prayers and lives. Wherever you find yourself today, God can use you to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. You may not think that your job, of lack thereof, is the place that God wants you to be. You may be correct in that, but that does not mean that God will just let you rot out back in some kind of Christian holding area. That didn't sound very encouraging, did it? Actually, I think the only holding area for Christians is in God's great love. Whether you are busy night and day or in a state of wondering "what should I do now?" we are in the holding area of God's grace and love.
I read in an article on unemployment, and there do seem to be a lot of these as of late, that one of the most difficult things is in the waiting. I had an advantage that many do not enjoy, I felt the call of God to move on to a different career, one that I could start immediately. Most folks search for jobs and do interviews if they can, but the toughest part is all that new time, the gaping maw of the open schedule. We came from corporate America where we had our schedules filled by the demands of our bosses, users, or machines in some way almost every moment of each day. Suddenly... nothing is on the schedule! That condition we dreamed of for years has arrived... and we immediately fear and hate it. :-) Where is God leading you in your current state?
If you have the security of a job, you probably fear giving it up to start a new career. You may have your dream job, but now fear the company won't last. If you don't have a job, you may fear never finding one again - some areas of the world can't even produce a want ad or interview to get ready for, much less a new job for someone. The snap answer to something like that is to pack up and move. That answer may be wrong! We learned in our Bible lesson last night that we need to have compassion. This means that a little thought and empathy should go into our suggestions and answers for others. Often we jump into a problem solving mode for another person without listening and learning first. Jesus asked one man if he wanted to be healed before solving the man's problem. Last night, I was reminded of the old comedy skit where the man with a big nose goes into the plastic surgeon's office for a consultation. Of course the surgeon jumps to the conclusion that the man wants his schnozzle shrunken and launches into his problem solving mode. We have seen it played out in comic strips and comic shows, but the joke is always on the surgeon as the man has some other problem that is not immediately visible. We too can fall into that "I know your problem and here's the answer you need" mentality without taking the time for prayer and compassion first.
The other side is of course to jump on the defensive when a brother or sister in Christ approaches you with a suggestion. Hey, maybe your spiritual honker needs a little adjustment; don't let it get bent out of joint at every suggestion! :-) I have found some of my greatest growth in Christ in the area of listening without getting defensive, also that I still have room for improvement in this area. Losing a job will bring out suggestions from a lot of people, as will getting married or divorced, or many other events that happen in our lives. We could spend all of our short lives in a defensive mode if we wanted. However, it could be that God has sent someone to warn you, or more likely, to help you. Take time to listen today, and if you are the one called to help, take time to help out today. :-)
Have a smiley day in Christ Jesus!
Bucky
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