A Joy That Is Greater Than A Job

…for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
(Philippians 4:11 – ESV)

Susan, I have feelings and emotions just like you. The reasons I don’t seem as upset as you have nothing to do with “keeping a stiff upper lip”, and I am not in denial, either. You see, Susan, I also have to provide for my family, and this layoff surprised me as much as anybody. I certainly didn’t expect it.

Of course, these kinds of things happen to people every day, and this won’t be the only time we’re surprised, or the only time we face a crisis situation. The real question is, as you say, why do I seem to be able to handle it well? It’s because I’m confident in my future, and it doesn’t depend on a job, it depends on the One who really provides for me. It isn’t me alone out there.

No, I don’t have a rich uncle. What I have is a relationship with God, the One who created the universe, and the One who has everything under control. To know Him, Susan, to know Him gives you a peace that passes any earthly understanding. Even when bad things happen, and they happen to everybody, I can trust God to help me through the bad times.

God tells us in His Word, the Bible, that He will never leave us, ever. He says that nothing can separate us from His love. It says that we are going to eventually triumph in everything. He says that although we may go through really deep periods where everything seems dark, even there He is with us and will guide us out. No, this doesn’t mean that everything will always be perfect, or the way we want it, but it does mean that bottom line, I can know for sure that God loves me and He has a plan for my life.

This job was just a stepping-stone for me; I am moving on to whatever God has in store for my family. Some people in my church lost their jobs last year, and God used it like a promotion, because they all got better paying work. That doesn’t always happen, but it could, and I just know that God will take care of my family no matter what. As I have learned more about Him, I have learned to trust Him, He never lets me down, He just changes my perspective sometimes.

Of course, you have to have a relationship with God for any of this to matter. Susan, our sin, you know, our bad deeds, these are the things that keep us from knowing God. But we can still know Him despite our sin because Jesus paid for our wrongs with His death.

You have heard of Jesus, haven’t you? Well, He lived a perfect life so that He could substitute His life for ours. If we believe in Jesus, God accepts His perfect life and His sacrificial death as our payment for sin, and He can then have a relationship with us. We also get to go to heaven and be with Him forever when we die. It is the greatest news of all time, and you can have it today! Believe me, it isn’t just some pie in the sky pipe dream, girl, this stuff is real! You know it is real, you saw it yourself in me.

I am telling you, Susan, this is the best thing that could happen to you. God is telling you right now to trust in Him, and you will see that He has a great plan in store for you, and He will give you the same kind of peace that I have. Isn’t that what you noticed? Let’s pray, and ask God to give you this peace, by telling Him that you aren’t just going to trust yourself anymore, but you turn to Him and are going to trust Him for everything from now on. Ask Him to forgive your sin because you believe in Jesus and I promise you that you will begin to feel a peace that you never have before. That is how you can get what you wanted, what you said you wanted, which is what you saw in me. Well, here is your chance, so let’s do this, okay?