Don't Waste It

This week, I received a copy of an article written by John Piper. “Don’t Waste Your Cancer” was written by Piper as he prepared for prostate cancer surgery. He makes good points about using the cancer to learn more about God and move forward in the faith journey, but I think his ideas can be useful for any type of suffering – even unemployment.

1.Believe this unemployment is designed by God – if it comes from the sovereign hand of God, then there is a purpose in it and God himself will be with me throughout the journey.

2.Believe it is a gift; not a curse – the gift in unemployment is the ability to grow closer to the Lord, to understand more of the sufferings of Christ and to be used to exhibit God’s grace.

3.Believe that true comfort comes from God; not from outside sources. It is easy to believe the comfort will be securing that dream job. But true comfort is revealed by the Holy Spirit as I relax in the arms of Jesus.

4.Believe in the importance of considering death. Unemployment death means dying to my idea of the perfect job and being willing to go where God wants me to be.

5.Believe in cherishing Christ. Since my true life continues into eternity, learning to cherish my Lord here will prepare me for how to worship him there. My true life is in the relationship with Jesus, not in the security of a job.

6.Believe in the importance the Word. Although I spend time searching for a job, reading God’s Word is still the best use of my time and pushes me closer toward the heart of God.

7.Believe in the importance of relationships. Going through unemployment is not the time for isolation. I need people. I need hugs. I need community.

8.Believe in the importance of hope. Stay in the Psalms. Smile. Find something valuable to do every day. Be courageous enough to keep believing.

9.Believe in the importance of confession. Even during unemployment, it is important to evaluate myself, to make sure I have no unconfessed sins.

10.Believe that I am a witness, even in unemployment. People watch how I go through suffering. My son watches how I wait for the answer and how I pray. Even stronger believers can learn from my witness, and I want to please God in the wait.

Although my thoughts may be a bit different than Piper’s, it’s been a good experiment to go through his article and make it mine. This time of unemployment is not a waste; otherwise, God would not allow it. He has a purpose. All I need to do is stay in hope and believe.