Blogs

THE EMPLOYMENT GAME, PART ONE

 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

--I Peter 4:12-13 KJV

     I realize that there are some hurting souls out there because of changes in the job market and my opening Scripture may seem a bit odd.  However, there are some Christians among the newly unemployed and they are having a hard time making sense of their reversals of the job market, and they need encouragement to uphold their testimony (Rev. 12:11 KJV) in Jesus Christ to turn man’s negative into God’s positive to reap a harvest of souls.

      After all, it rains on the just—and the unjust.  The winds will still blow without our help.  The sun will rise and set without our urging. Lastly, pink slips can come at any time because there is no such thing as a ‘secure’ job in today’s marketplace.  This truth applies to the private sector, as well as the public (government) sector.  I’ll go you one better; because I have experienced layoffs and firings in BOTH!  Thus, when I eventually went into the public sector, I was more rooted in reality than some of my government coworkers.

      Let me let you in on a little secret.  Being a Christian does not mean you are ‘exempt’ from life’s day-to-day functions.  It means that you will have Jesus Christ standing by you, and the Holy Spirit to lead you through your situation.  I have not always been a Christian.  I’ve been laid off or fired from jobs on both sides of the Jordan.  However, once I made that commitment to Jesus Christ, I passed from death unto life and had better opportunities come to me in some unusual ways that I would have never been able to dream of in my own little pea brain.

      Two examples from my own life—both before and after my conversion.  First, during my time in broadcasting, I experienced one of those end-of-the-week job purges.  I was called into the Program Director’s office at 6pm—and was unemployed at 6:05pm.  Needless to say, it was a low-level job which I had for a year, but the skills I mastered would serve me wall.

      Monday, I was out on the job hunt again.  Because of the skills I brought to the table, I was quickly hired, my pay doubled (with overtime added) and started a four-year run at my next career level.  Now, I realize that there are some who are saying: “Well, you didn’t need God in your life to get that blessing; circumstances ‘happened’ to come together to open the door for you.”

      Not really.

      Several years after I became a Christian, I went through a messy divorce, found myself homeless, and was on the child support railroad. (Of course, these are stories for another day!) I found myself out of broadcasting and starting all over in the Fast Food industry as a cashier.  Further, one of my old bosses stopped by and saw me working at the counter.

     “Oh, how the mighty have fallen”. He said, while he had placed his order.

       Yep, it stung kids, but God always has a better plan.

       A few weeks after that ‘exchange’ at my register, the Regional Manager arrived for a store inspection.  It turned out that it was an old friend of mine from college.  After we greeted each other, I went back to work, and he went to the store’s manager and asked him: “Why is he working the register?  He has a college degree and belongs in the management ranks.”  Long story short, by the end of my shift, I was given a new management uniform, a training manual, a good pay raise, and told to report back Monday as a Shift Manager—which soon placed me in the Assistant Manager ranks.

      Who says that God doesn’t look out for His people?  Further, the moral of this story is always treat people right, because you never know when you may run into them again!

      As I wrap up this segment of my series, I remember some great words that have blessed me during my employment years—especially when I hit hard times.  They came from Pastor John Hagee, Cornerstone Church, during one of his sermons: “You can’t get that job God wants you to have, until you let go of your present job.”  Amen.  Years before this, Pastor Chuck Swindoll advised during one of his radio messages: “Never hold onto something so tightly that you force God to smack your hand to MAKE you let go of it—for HIS glory.  This applies to relationships, a marriage, possessions or jobs.  You are a steward of what He has given you.  And, what He gives, he has the right to take back—again, for HIS glory.”

      Folks, how many times have you said that you wanted to start a business, go back to school, write that book or start a new career, only to be too scared to work without the ‘net’ of ‘job security’?  How many positions has God created JUST for you, but you have ‘told’ God that you didn’t need his help?  You held onto your job too tightly.  Sometimes, unemployment is God’s way of telling you: “I want your attention…be still…and listen to me...I’ve got something better for you.”

      More to come.

           Mike Ramey is a Retired Minister, KJV Bible Teacher, syndicated columnist and Bible Prophecy Specialist who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.  “The Ramey Encourager” is one of a variety of his columns abounding in print and cyberspace, written from a biblical, business, and common-sense perspective since 1996. Catch his columns on X (Twitter), Faithwriters, Linkedin, or fine publications such as this one!  To drop him a line—or a whine—the address is still the same: mgmikeramey@yahoo.com.  ©2025 Barnstorm Communications International.