3 Lessons From Being Jobless

Hey, jobseeker! Have you found your dream job? I pray that you will find your dream job so that you can glorify God though your job!

For some people, being jobless is scary! You have no idea how you will live without fixed income.

You feel like you get a title for being “The Jobless Person of the Year”. You feel a bit ashamed (plus a bit guilty), especially when other ask you if you have worked in a well-known company (especially those who have just fresh graduated from their university. Welcome to the real world).

You don’t even know where to put your face, especially if the one who ask are your own parents.

To make matter worse, surprise! The one who write this is also a jobless person! (Not really jobless if you considered writing this a job Ha ha)

I had been jobless for about 1 month.

Been searching for jobs, but I didn’t think that the job would perfectly fit with what I wanted.

I had tried also to apply for management trainee programs (yet, no luck ha-ha)

It’s quite worrying (for me), regarding I am quite choosy with jobs.

Fortunately, I learnt many things as a jobless person. I realized that being jobless is not that bad. On the contrary, I felt that being jobless is a good thing and I can make jobless an opportunity to get closer to God! Isn’t that exciting?

Here I list 3 things that I learnt from being jobless.

Worrying Does Not Change Anything

I was worried when I was still in my first week of being jobless. Parents asked frequently if I had been hired or not. I looked for some prospect jobs but I didn’t really want to apply those. It felt like I didn’t really into “9-to-5” jobs.

Yet, I also realized that I and my family didn’t have income. Therefore, we did not know how we could be able to eat. It was a really worrying situation.

In that situation, I was touched by Jesus’ Word. Let me show you the verses.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25, NABRE).

Me and My family were worried that we could not eat (It was plausible since I didn’t have job and no income).

However, Jesus said that we should not be worrying about what we will eat. He added that even birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet God still feeds them! (Matthew 6:26a, NABRE)

And if God still feeds them, regardless of the fact that they don’t work, why should we be afraid of not being able to eat? Are not we more important than those birds? (Matthew 6:26b, NABRE)

Then, Jesus said laterally that you cannot change anything by worrying (Matthew 6:27, NABRE)

Then, what should we do? Should we then just wait for God to feed us?

Jesus asked us to seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things (Foods, for example) will be given you besides (Matthew 6:33, NABRE). So what does this mean?

This means that God will take care of my family needs if I put God first in my life (such as pray to God daily, living in obedience to Him, doing God’s business). Why should I worry if God has promised me that?

(Please note that this doesn’t mean God will surely make you a rich person. God only promised that He will “take care” of your need. This is not a prosperity gospel).

If God promises me that He will take care of my family’s needs, then will God cover the next day, and so on, and so on...?

Jesus said that we should not worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will take care of itself.

That’s how I learnt to not worrying (in a jobless situation).

Give Thanks Even If There are No Reason to Give Thanks

Personally, it is easier for me to be grateful when I have tremendous blessings. I will, with joy and smile on my face, shout aloud,” Thank you, Lord, for blessing me!”

Well, it was (admittedly) harder for me to be grateful in the first week, especially knowing that my financial was very poor.

However, the truth is, we ought to give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for me in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NABRE).

So, giving thanks, especially in my financial crisis, will please our God. But, how do I know so sure that my thanks will please God?

During my first week of being jobless, I tried to give as many thanks as possible to God despite my worrying situation. I knew that giving thanks will please God, and I believed that God would do something to help me. Knowing that he would take care of my family, I decided to just believe in God.

The third week, a miracle happened. God gave my family a financial aid through my uncle. Those aid were able to cover my family for 1 month.

And that is the result for pleasing God.

Which brings me to my next point...

Believe First rather than Seeing First

It’s not “Seeing is believing”, which means that you have to see first to believe. On the contrary, believing first means that you don’t have to see first to believe.

Jesus said that blessed are those who have not seen, yet have believed (John 20:29b). God loves those who would rather believe first rather than seeing first.

So, my personal experience reflected that believing first was the wisest choice after all. Imagine if I had doubt (and I didn’t give many thanks) to God, I might not be writing this at all.

So, these are 3 things I want to share with you from my 1 month experience being jobless. It was a priceless experience for me.

How about you? I want to hear it too from you!

Lastly, I want to share with you a touching verse that strengthening my faith during jobless. It is a very beautiful verse, even if you already have worked right now. The verse is taken from St. Paul's letter to Romans.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28 (NRSVCE)

God Bless You