|
|
|
|
|
Users viewing this topic:
none
|
|
Login  | |
|
Lack of Faith?? - 5/17/2009 6:53:12 AM
|
|
|
jkb13
Posts: 1
Joined: 5/17/2009
Status: offline
|
I recently lost my job asfter 25 years with the same company. Started with them straight out of college. I have sent out probably 100 resumes and gotten 2 phone interviews. I have been a christian for over 30 years. All of this has really tested my faith, I find myself wondering if I am being punished or if God has something bigger planned for my life that I need to be patient and seek his will. I am starting my own consulting business, which will require a ton of faith. I pray each day for God's guidance and leadership, but sometimes I feel like I am on this journey all by myself. I was within 4 yrs and 8 mths of full retirement at age 53, but now i will have to work till I am 65. I don't mind working, that is all I have ever known. I just want to make sure I am following God's will in this situation and now my will.
Thanks!
Kevin
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Lack of Faith?? - 5/17/2009 10:04:16 PM
|
|
|
AnalystsAreUs
Posts: 186
Joined: 4/12/2005
Status: offline
|
If you are not in sin, God is not punishing you. Life happens to all of us. This world is not what God intended. Let me give you a for instance. I have been reading a few good books on why the economy tanked. And I can tell you that a lot of the reason why the banking industry went belly up is for one very stupid and simple reason: Everyone lied to everyone else. Loan officers lied to prospective bowers, bowers lied about their income and local banks lied to investment banks about the quality of the loans. When you do that, it's just a mater of time till it goes bust. And it did. Duh!!!. If they hadn't lied to each other, we would all be a lot better off. Did God want this to happen? Of course not. Proverbs has a lot to say on how to run a honest business.
Sometimes God tells us what's happening, at other times he does not. When He doesn't, that's called walking by faith. I doubt God ever promised any of us a middle class life style with full retirement and health insurance for the rest of our lives. If you have any doubts, just look at the way your brothers and sisters live in third world countries. Do you think God loves them any less?
While you are looking for that "resume" job, take other less "well" paying jobs. Since our dear old president is not dealing with the moral banking failure, it will take a long long time for our economy to turn around.
Your job is to look for a job. God's job is to provide one. But remember, God may not provide one that you prefer so stay flexible. He may not even provide a traditional nine-to-five job.
And don't expect God to just rubber stamp your consulting business. Your "faith" does not obligate God. If you sense he is guiding you into it, go for it. But if you don't have any sense one way or the other, do not blame God when it does not pan out.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Lack of Faith?? - 5/23/2009 2:23:31 PM
|
|
|
jn1010lf
Posts: 497
Joined: 4/20/2005
Status: offline
|
Hello jkb13
It seems that you've experienced age discrimination of the cruelest sort. The company let you go so that wouldn't have to pay their share of your retirement. It is strictly based on economics, nothing else. You were either replaced by a new recruit or your job was outsourced.
All I can say is that God promises us that we will never have to beg for bread. His eye is on you and somewhere, somehow, there is a plan for your prosperity.
It has been said that the only security we have is between our two ears. That's true in the natural but I would extend that to our spirit because God dwells there.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Lack of Faith?? - 5/26/2009 10:42:17 PM
|
|
|
freakofnature
Posts: 369
Joined: 1/17/2008
Status: offline
|
I can relate. Try being downsized, outsourced, part of the "paradigm" of every job you've had with the exception of one since I have started my professional life. I actually have been downsized a total of 6 times and let go from my last stable job because of the downturn in the economy. Through a divorce single fatherhood raising three kids alone... Struggles, deep dark long struggles I've had to hit the reset button on life more times than my son Noah while playing the latest version of Tony Hawk on PS3. I have had to start over more times that I care tot think about and I have to admit that questioning one's faith is born from these struggles, I suspect you'll do fine in your new path to retirement.
Let me then say that in most cases, I ended up better off in the long run. With the possible exception of this last time, the economy hit me pretty hard, and I will be losing everything that I have worked hard for since my wife left me in 2001. But that is another story for another thread.
I struggle with faith now also. I have without a doubt made some very poor decisions in my life. First by getting married at 19 and having children early on... I do not regret my children under any circumstances that is why I fought to keep them after my ex wife left. But if it were not for my poor decisions, my children may/probably wouldn't be going through this battle with me now and I could have provided a better life to a child/children. But, I struggle with the fact that I have made these decisions based on what I thought God would think or what I thought my "church" would think of me or my "pastor" would think of me. I really struggle with continuing attending church for fear that I will continue making these decisions and that if I didn't have to worry about God or Pastor Oz, or my church family, it might make decisions easier to make. That is where my faith is right now! I wish you well my friend, I'm sure that i will all work for you... I pray God will bless your path. For the steps of a righteous man are ordered by God.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Lack of Faith?? - 5/26/2009 10:45:08 PM
|
|
|
freakofnature
Posts: 369
Joined: 1/17/2008
Status: offline
|
quote:
All I can say is that God promises us that we will never have to beg for bread
Is this why the food pantry lines are so long... I know, I've had to be in them recently? I shouldn't feel this way.. but this is the Men's only folder and to be honest I really am struggling with this very very deeply.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Lack of Faith?? - 5/27/2009 11:12:22 AM
|
|
|
iwillfearnoevil
Posts: 3617
Joined: 11/6/2007
From: upstate NY
Status: offline
|
i don't know about the beg for bread scripture, not sure it's a promise for all believers ... you do bring up a good point about our needs being met and there are some scriptures that talk about our needs be met:
Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Luke 12: 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!
i don't know that i have any good advice or anything you haven't heard before. the book of job along with psalms are often good to read when going through a rough time. i would recommend the philip yancey book 'disappointment with God' ... it was a struggle for me contemplating an all-powerful God who could do anything yet allowing me to seeminly suffer as i went through a situation and his book was very good ... i'll be praying for you guys ...
_____________________________
Photoblogging My Life
|
|
|
|
 New Messages |
 No New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/ New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/o New Messages |
 Locked w/ New Messages |
 Locked w/o New Messages |
|
 Post New Thread
Reply to Message
Post New Poll
Submit Vote
Delete My Own Post
Delete My Own Thread
Rate Posts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forum Tools
Printable Version
