So You’re Unemployed…

…but you are not alone. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the current rate is 8.3% with an average length of ten months. For those who have not experienced long-term unemployment, every week that ticks by can become a source of depression, despair, and self-disdain. This is not a hyperbole, not when we live in a society where your job defines you and your worth as a human being.

However, I would like to remind you emphatically that you are not alone. Rather, you’re in a prime position to grow closer to God, if you allow it. As it is, God isn’t so much the gold star kind of teacher as he is the “we’re going to sit here in the desert for forty years until you learn to trust me” sort. What follows are the three major thorns that plagued me as I looked for work, and the lessons that I believe God was trying to teach me.

The perceived agony: Humiliation

You did your time, you worked your way through college, and you even graduated with a decent GPA, but with every passing month, it becomes less and less acceptable to tell people at parties that you’re a “recent” graduate. You dread meeting up with old friends because you feel like the butt end of a joke in a workaholic society. You can see in people’s eyes that they must think you’re lazy or a failure. Only a fraction of this real, but in your head it’s all true, and that’s the problem.

The real problem: Pride

Pride is the original sin, so it should be no surprise that it rears its ugly head every time we face a crisis. The virtue to combat this is humility, but it doesn’t have to be humiliating. First of all, only concern yourself with how you appear in God’s eyes. You may be infinitely smaller than he is, but he loves you anyway, unlike the world, which is simply going to hate you.

After you take a deep breath and remind yourself of God’s humbling love, remind yourself of

James 1:9, which says, “The brother in lowly circumstances should take pride in his high standing.” That is, don’t be prideful of an earthly stature, but take joy that your lack of one is favorable to God. Additionally, in Matthew 18:3, our Lord says, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” As a child, you should not hold yourself in such esteem that you’re embarrassed to tell people that, despite your best efforts, you have not found a job. God exalts the humble, and he takes care of his children. Unfortunately, no one likes being treated like a child.

The perceived agony: Reverting back to teenage angst

If you’re not working, chances are you’re living with family and you’re no longer in charge of your domestic surroundings. Even if you love your mom’s cooking, it’s probably not what you envisioned eating seven days a week well into your twenties. If your parents are generous and understanding, you feel guilty at not contributing financially because, gosh darn it, you’re an adult! If your parents are housing you only reluctantly, then you might likewise be struggling with resentment at them and toward the world. Alas, you want nothing more than to be independent and self-sufficient.

The real problem: Denying your reliance on God

Let Matthew 6: 25-26 set the record straight: “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? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?”

The lesson here is two-pronged. For one, no one is self-sufficient or completely self-made; it is God who holds dominion over us. For the other, God takes care of us. Whether you’re a billionaire with your own island or a mountain man building your own log cabin, you will never be any less reliant on God. If, then, God feeds the birds of the sky, do you not think he will provide you with what you need? Providing you with everything you want is a different matter.

The perceived agony: Your dreams are on hold

Unless you have the means to strive for a house, a car, and a trip to Vegas, you cannot be happy, or so our society would have us believe. Sure, it’s a lie, but it’s one we start buying into as soon as we develop language. And it’s not a sin to daydream of traveling the world, of taking that martial arts class or saving up for a guitar, but it is a sin to let a lack of those things overshadow the goodness of God.

The real problem: The Bible does not promise us our dreams

It promises an incredible and awesome God who wants us to be ultimately happy. It’s the “ultimate” part that we have a hard time wrapping our heads around. If we are to believe that God is the source of all love and goodness, then it stands to reason that everlasting communion with God is what we should strive for. The Bible promises us God himself, not just in heaven, but on earth as well. John 55-56: “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” It doesn’t get any better than unity with a love that can raise the dead, and you don’t have to wait for heaven to get started.

Yet, this is all easier said than done. Unemployment is a truly stressful state, one exacerbated by a material culture. The weight of it all can cause your self-esteem to implode to the point that you’ll go out of your way to be unhappy. If nothing else, consider this: A job will not make you happy, but it’s within your reach to accept God with a humble heart and find true joy. I wish someone had told me sooner.

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://ignitumtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/profilepic.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Rachael Johnson is a young adult trying to discern her vocation among the noise of a major culture war. With a degree in Creative Writing, she hopes to one day share tales of the fantastic with a larger audience. She maintains a blog at Cool Cats — a blog about cool Catholics.[/author_info] [/author]

Rachael Johnson

Rachael Johnson

Rachael Johnson is a young adult trying to discern her vocation among the noise of a major culture war. With a degree in Creative Writing, she hopes to one day share tales of the fantastic with a larger audience. She maintains a blog at Cool Cats -- a blog about cool Catholics.

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8 thoughts on “So You’re Unemployed…”

  1. Thank you! This is just what I needed to hear; technically, I’m not unemployed (I have a teaching job that starts in a few weeks) but my summer job fell through and I’ve been living off my parents all summer–this gets right to the heart of the issues I’ve been struggling with this summer.

  2. I’m not in my twenties. And technically according to the government’s definition of “unemployment” versus “out of work” I am out of work. And I have been for 2.5 years. I live with my parents. (It has been “getting old” for a very long time.)
    Just wanted to say thank you and that this was beautifully written.

  3. Beautiful! These are all lessons I have learned too, too well. Sometimes it seems like the last 4 years of my life have been searching for one internship and job after another. Let’s just say this has presented me with many opportunities for spiritual growth (some realized, others not so much). I spent months looking for my first job out of school only to leave just over one year later and move across the country for my husband’s job (in that respect, I am blessed to have his income!). Cue: second major job search in two years. The process has given me the ability to see God’s provision in so many little ways both materially and in my own heart. However…the timing of this story is kind of amazing for me. Just a few hours ago, I [finally!] received an offer for a full-time employment in my field, a MAJOR answer to prayer! My start date will mark almost exactly 10 months of searching.

  4. I have great difficulty with people stating that they are unemployed and cannot find work. I care for a totally disabled son 24/7 for the past 14 years…never one day off. It is virtually impossible for me to hire a PCA (Personal care attendant) to assist in the home. People don’t want to change adult diapers, bathe, etc. and maintain the dignity of the severely disabled. I can for a FACT tell you there are hundred for openings for totally disabled kids and adults available and NO takers. So please, if you want to work, work with disabled…we, parents, cannot employ good help! I blog on disability issues quite extensively and this is a MAJOR problem in our community worldwide.

  5. Phil,
    You bring up a good point. Caring for the most vulnerable in society would definitely be a lesson in Christian service and humility. However, I ask that you bear more patience toward people looking for work. Those with a degree are probably trying to break into a certain field, so the opportunity you suggest may not be the first thing that pops into their head (again, thanks for mentioning it). Additionally, would it not be unfair to learn the ropes of taking care of an individual, only to leave in order to accept a job in the desired field? What are the commitments in caring for the disabled? Do these positions usually require prior experience?

  6. @ Rachel,
    Commitments can be daily, a few days a week, week-ends or a fill in as respite care. Most parents are unable to get anyone for these positions and will take what they can get. Average pay is about 13.00 per hour, etc . No special requirements other than a criminal records check…most parents start by having the PCA shadow them and teaching whatever skills are necessary…ie changing, bathing, maintenance of trachs and g-tubes, etc. Aside from the service and humility issues, it simply one member of a species caring for another. We don’t mind short timers…as any help is appreciated for whatever time. When ya got no help, any help is great.

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