Unemployment

Being unemployed is a stressful time in a person’s life, and being a Christian does not guarantee that our life will be a bed of roses. Christians go through the same life problems and life changing situations as non-Christians. How we see those problems and how we deal with them is what sets believers and non-believers apart. When you became a Christian, your well-being became God’s responsibility. He is your Father and He will provide for your every need.

The bible says that “God sends rain on the just and the unjust alike”. Matthew 5:45. Because we are in this world we are subject to the laws of this world, but thanks be to God we have someone we can call on who knows where the jobs are and how to guide His children to them.

I am unemployed since 9 months and I was unemployed for 2 years (2009 – 2011). During my time of unemployment, God provided for my needs. I won’t tell you that it was an easy, stress free ride, because it was not. I had to put God in remembrance of His word and trust Him in spite of what my situation looked like and how I felt.

What ultimately helped me was, knowing who I am in Christ, my church, friends and family members praying for me and knowing that God loves unconditionally and He is in control.

God knows how to take care and provide for His children. Trust and believe in your heart that God loves you and is arranging situations, people and job opportunities for you and keep your eyes and heart open as God in all His wisdom and power change your situation.

Be blessed and encouraged! Run to God, not away from Him.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

The king’s (employer’s) heart is in the hand of the LORD; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases. Proverbs 21:1

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46:1-3, 7

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. 1 Peter 5:7 (Amplified Bible)

The Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows (recognizes, has knowledge of, and understands) those who take refuge and trust in Him. Nahum 1:7 (Amplified Bible)

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Is anything too hard for the Lord? Genesis 18:14

But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth. Deuteronomy 8:18

So, ‘call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me. He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me’. Psalm 50:15, 23.

Faith

My prayer:

I used to pray all the time to ‘increase my faith’. It was always the lack of faith that I have fallen. So whenever I prayed, I kept praying, ‘GOD increase my faith’. I had read the bible verses Luke 17:5-6 many times. Every time I read these verses I receive inspiration to ask GOD to increase my faith in Him, and these verses also soothe me knowing that even the Apostles were in lack of faith.

But now I decided not to pray to increase my faith but to give me faith.

Faith as a mustard seed:

“The apostles said to the LORD, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you” (Luke 17:5-6).

What does this means? It means they had no faith at all. The size of the mustard seed was the least measuring unit that the Apostles or anyone could easily understand. What I understand from these verses is, faith is not something that can be compared or measured. Faith is just faith; there is no ‘little’ or ‘more’. Jesus once said “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” (Mathew 8:26) which means ‘You of NO faith’. (‘You of little faith’, when translated to Malayalam it is like ‘You of some faith’). If faith of the size of mustard can uproot a mulberry tree and plant it in the sea, then how much faith did Jesus had? So, here Jesus compared the size of faith with a mustard seed not actually to measure faith but for us to understand the strength of faith. Any amount of faith is enough, as long as it is faith (in heaven’s version). Without a measuring unit it is hard for our normal brain to understand the strength of faith.

Faith in my perception:

I have heard some preachings comparing mustard seed to faith, as a seed without cavity inside; as a solid / dense seed or sometimes as the smallest seed when sown it grows to a large tree. But I say, if faith is compared to milk and ‘no faith’ to a drop of poison, then little faith is like a jug full of milk with a drop of poison. What possible nourishment does it make? In fact it kills the person with that kind of faith.

The apostles were normal people and Jesus talked to them in normal and simple way. Without understanding, the Apostles asked for more faith, and then Jesus was explaining them that it is not necessary to have more, but to have faith. So he compared faith with smallest available measurement to the unimaginable act.

I like to compare faith with boiled water. When water is in the process of boiling, we don’t say it is little boiled. We call it boiled when it is boiled. But to satisfy our sole or spirit and to encourage ourselves, I guess there is no wrong in considering faith as little and more.

This is a discussion, and it is my perception on faith at this particular verses. I know everybody has theirs, so it could be interesting if you could post your view at the comment section.

Passive Obedience

An Incident:

One late evening, while I was working in Kazakhstan, my boss asked me to check if some interlocks were installed on a pig launcher. So on the next day morning at around 7:00am I went to check for the interlocks which was more than 2 Km from our site office. The temperature outside was -45^oC and I had to walk the whole way up and down. My nose was dripping terribly and my palms and foots were like I am standing on nails and burning. So I ran to the heater room to warm myself then had a cup of coffee and was posting the report on drawing. It was at that time my boss walked in to ask if I had checked at site. I told him the special interlocks were not installed but he will not believe, and he wants me to check the same again, I got mad on that and refused. The story still goes on, but that is not my intention here.

I was sure about my inspection and I am an experienced person in my field, so it was futile for me to walk once again in that climate (well, I thought so).

The incident that changed the world:

I know six well experienced fishermen by profession who toiled whole night in sea but found no fish. So they returned to the shore exhausted, tired and desperate. At that time there came a man, standing at the shore he asked the fishermen, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” (John 21:1-6).

My outlook:

I was trying to figure out how I would have responded to that statement. For sure, at least I would have neglected him. But these exhausted, naked and desperate fishermen simply obeyed, without knowing that it was Jesus. I believe only a slave or a person with slave kind of mentality can obey like that.

I once saw some road workers doing some wrong lifting works and I tried to correct them, but the workers simply neglected me as if I was not present there.

“When you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey–whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16)

Please feel free to post your perspective on Obedience in the comments.

Stop distractions to enter in to our lives

How do we not allow distractions to enter in to our lives and deter us from God’s desire both in us and through us?
We hold in to our instructions.
We make our conscience decision that by the grace of God; we will follow through with what he is asking us to do.

“While I dance to the tune of your revelation.
My troubles turned out all for the best—
they forced me to learn from your textbook.” – Psalm 119:70, 71