How to Overcome the Pain of a Job Search

“But God chose the foolish things of the world
to shame the wise;
God chose the weak things of the world
to shame the strong.”
I Cor. 1:27

How difficult is your job search? Is it humbling and painful? Do you feel less than qualified to secure that new job and leave the ranks of the unemployed? Does success seem elusive and just out of reach – impossible? Consider this…

Do you long to be an articulate, poised, charismatic person for God? Do you relish the idea of being viewed as something of an expert in Godly things, to be the person people come to for answers? Even if it’s a small circle of people, I think deep down we all do. We want to have that kind of faith.

The problem is there seems to be a contradiction. The world looks to the charismatic, polished, knowledgeable person for answers. But that’s not what you find in the Scriptures…

I challenge  you to examine both the New Testament and the Old Testament in depth and try to find such a person.  I haven’t found one yet. What I do find are people who have been crushed, bruised, broken, and hurting. People that stumble and fall to temptation, run from conflict, and make a mess of relationships.

What is your life made up of?

So if your life fits in any, or maybe even all of those unenviable categories,  believe it or not, you are right where He wants you to be. You are being schooled for greatness. You are poised for success. You see, God uses those of us who know pain, failure, and defeat much more often than those that know only comfort, success, and victory.

The reason? The victorious and successful may be confused on how they got there. They may see it as their own efforts. When those who have experienced pain and failure see success, they know it could only have come from one place:  God Himself.

How can weakness help you?

Paul told us Christ’s power “is made perfect in weakness.” He went on to say, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”(II Cor. 12:9-10)

So if your job search is a humbling, painful experience, rejoice in that God is in the midst of it. He will use your pain for others’ gain. He will use your humility to lift others. Relish failure—it’s God’s back door to success.

Father of Comfort, I sometimes get caught up in the pain and can’t look ahead. May I glorify you in my humbling state.

If you would like to explore working with a Christian centered Career Coach, Contact me for a no-obligation consultation and we can discuss your situation, what you would like to achieve, and structure your job search to fit your uniqueness.