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THE EMPLOYMENT GAME PART 3

 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.

 --Psalm 112:7 KJV

     As we wrap up this series, I wanted to help you to be aware of one thing: Employment is a game; how you learn to play the game over your working years will determine the peace you find through the game during your retirement years.

      Gone are the days of spending 30 years at one job, and retiring with a gold watch and a testimonial dinner. A few years ago, it was revealed in several published studies that the average worker would change jobs at least five to seven times during their working years. Thus, job reversals and unemployment can happen in the best of career fields. Further, the advance of technology and the ‘merger mania’ of the first portion of this new century should be more than enough to warn many that the current workplace is NOT the same as your parents—or even your grandparents.

      What if you have the smarts, courage, and capital to become an entrepreneur and open your own company? I do not care how liberal your views may be; companies stay in business based on profit and loss. Further, the highest cost for a company is the cost of labor. Business owners want to keep labor cost down, and those doing the work want to make the best rate as possible and are quite willing to go across the street for better pay and better working conditions.

      This is all a part of the employment game. It is nothing personal, but it may feel that way if YOU are the one carrying the little cardboard box with your nameplate and assorted office or shop equipment out the front door, doing the ‘perp walk’ into unemployment. And—as I mentioned before—IF you happen to be a Christian and facing this walk, you MAY be tempted to question God over your situation—especially when you let many of your co-workers know how good God has been to you during your time on the job.

      I did mention once before that your job will NEVER love you back as much as you love it. In short, too many people get ‘comfortable’ in their employment situation and lose sight of the fact that they are one paycheck away from being shown the door, no matter what they have ‘offered’ their employer over the years. One other thing I would like to bring up for the Christians who may have experienced unemployment—this is all part of the game of employment.

      Pastor John Hagee said it best a few years back, which I will paraphrase: “You can’t get the job that God wants you to have until you lose the job that you presently have!”  In short, IF you hold onto your job too tightly, it will REALLY hurt when God has to smack your hand to turn it loose. It takes FAITH to be a Christian. Cowards need not apply.

      It is important—when you are on the Lord’s team—you spot opportunities where others see disaster.

     A few years back, Edwin Louis Cole was doing all right as the Pastor of a church in the seventies. However, he took a good look at the church and American society and was shocked to see the overall decline of men and manhood. He went to the Lord in prayer and God laid it out for him to address this issue through a national men’s ministry which did NOT exist.  It was up to Cole to study and found such a ministry.

      The next Sunday, Cole got up in his pulpit and promptly resigned from his church, telling his congregation: “I’m behind schedule!” He started having workshops aimed at men, and how they could become better men through Jesus Christ. His small group ministry led to bigger ministries, workshops, and regional gatherings. Cole penned the revolutionary book: Maximized Manhood which went on to be a national (and an international best seller). Further, Cole’s efforts inspired the foundation of the Promise Keepers organization.

      In it’s heyday, it filled stadiums across the country, as it ministered to men about Jesus.

      Full disclosure here: I used to be an Evangelism Trainer with PK, and met Cole at one of the conferences, as he was a keynote speaker.  Bottom line: Cole had a great position, but God needed Cole somewhere else for HIS work to be done.

      Another encouraging story, and I will wrap this up. A good friend of mine was a loyal worker for his company for several years. One day, his boss called him into his office. My friend, knowing how fickle the broadcasting business can be, went in for the meeting, expecting the worst. He came out of that meeting informed that his company was going to start a new division, and wanted him and another employee to be a part of it—with BOTH getting raises and better positions. That was more than fifteen years ago…and my friend is still with that new division and has just received another raise and promotion. All because he—as a Christian—listened to the Lord and had the faith to follow his lead.

     One more. Elijah, an Old Testament prophet of the Lord is an example of one who had some difficulties in his life. He was obedient to the Lord, but wound up in some situations that would do us well to examine. One of the most stirring examples is when the Lord told Elijah to live by a brook during a drought in the land. The Lord was his source, providing him with both a food and water. When it was time for Elijah to ‘move on’ to the next assignment, the Lord turned off the brook. Why? Because the Lord’s people have to learn how to rely on Him, and move when He gives the command to do so.

      It rains on the just and the unjust. Unemployment comes to the Christian and non-Christian. The difference is made in how one refuses to lay down and quit just because life throws you a curve. THIS is how your win the employment game.

      As one old sage put it: “A setback is a set UP for a comeback!”

      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, Substack 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.