How Are You Coping With the Stress of Job Loss?

“You intended to harm me,
but God intended it for good
to accomplish what is now being done,
the saving of many lives.”
Gen. 50:20

Does your life feel like you are caught in a downward spiral that seemingly has no end? You lost your job. No opportunities have panned out. Finances are getting low. You’re behind on some bills. There’s stress and tension at home. Your prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling.

Joseph’s life as we read in Gen. 39 and following sounded much the same. He woke up and life was good. His father loved him, in fact doted on him. He could stay around the house and help his dad while his brothers were all working with the sheep in the fields. They didn’t seem to care for him, but they were in the fields anyway. And then the dreams of greatness…yes, all was good!

One day his dad asked him to go check to see how his brothers were doing. Well, that’s not so bad. He probably thought he would be home for dinner.

Off he went, wearing that great coat his father had given him. Probably not a wise thing to wear, but it was his favorite coat after all. His brothers saw him coming and gave him all kinds of grief. Kind of took the luster off the day and the dreams. Then they threatened to kill him. Now that can ruin your entire day. They threw him in a pit, day goes down another notch. Sold him to a band of travelling traders, down again. He became a household slave, down it continues. And then as if it couldn’t get any worse, he was thrown in prison. Now that’s got to be the very bottom of the barrel.

Can a downward spiral be for your good?

Yes, Joseph was caught in a downward spiral of events that threatened to derail his spirit as it seemed to have derailed his life.

But as he says later in the story, “God meant it for good.” You can’t be serious! God meant all of that pain, agony, frustration, and depression for good? That’s what the man who suffered through it said.

But notice, he says that after it had ended. He didn’t say it in the pit, or as a slave, or in prison. He says it as the Prime Minister of Egypt. When he was enduring all of that he was too focused on holding on to his faith, staying true to himself, being true to his God that he didn’t see beyond all of that to try and capture a vision of the Master plan.
Some things are best seen in hindsight. Some things you can ONLY see in the rear view mirror.

Understanding the Master plan…

Maybe that’s where you are. Don’t worry if you can’t see the Master plan, just trust the Master’s plan. Hold on to your faith. Be true to yourself. Be true to your God. Your promotion is coming also!

Grand Master Planner, I get distracted and depressed by the present circumstances. Grant me the strength to hold on and watch for my promotion.