Don't Waste Your Layoff, Part 1

Note: I freely and gladly acknowledge that the 'Don't Waste Your (fill-in-the-blank)' moniker is not original with me and joyfully credit John Piper and Desiring God Ministries as having created it. Piper's article 'Don't Waste Your Cancer' can be found here.

Thursday (March 31) my job ended. The company is going to get the work done with a server and a scanner. I am disappointed and I felt more emotion that I expected when I left the building for the last time, but I am trusting God Who knows and sees.

There are a lot of ways to begin I suppose, but the only way that makes any sense to me is to begin with God.

You will waste your layoff if you do not believe it is designed for you by God. God, Who is Sovereign has brought this into my life - He allowed it, therefore He planned it and so it has purpose. God does not act willy-nilly. He knew about it and could have prevented it, yet He did not. It is His Will for me. The choice before me is to either bless Him or curse Him.

After having experienced the sudden and complete loss of property and family, Mr. and Mrs. Job had this exchange: "Then (Job's) wife said to him, 'Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.' But he said to her, 'You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?' In all this Job did not sin with his lips." Job 2:9-10

Cursing God for calamity is sin. Attributing the calamity to something other than the hand of God is sin. God directs all human affairs and we honor Him by saying so.

From the Psalms today:

In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)

I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. (Psalm 34:4-7)

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear Him have no lack!

The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:8-10)

I will not waste my layoff if I grow in the fear of God.