I'm Unemployed. Is God Punishing Me?

Scripture: “Whatever you do, do it from the heart for the Lord and not for people.” (Colossians 3:23)

Did you know that "God helps those who help themselves" is one of the most-quoted phony Bible verses out there? Remember this: God “know(s) the hopes of the helpless” (Psalm 10:17) and His “power works best in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) If you’ve been praying for a job for a long time, here are a few things to consider.

Consider God’s Calling

Does God have a plan for you? Yes. The bigger question is, "What is God’s plan?" We all have dreams for our life, but God’s plan is first. He does not want to just be a part of the plans I make for my life. God’s plan involves His “Kingdom” because He is the King, and we owe loyalty to Him. Sin is disloyalty to Him, and “The Lord will not hear me if I hold on to sin in my heart.” (Psalm 66:18) But there’s more to think about as you wait for an answer to your prayer for a job.

Consider How God Created You

Ephesians 2:1-10 shows that it’s God’s work, not ours, that is most important. “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10) You are unique for God's purposes. Sometimes it's hard for you to see your uniquenesses. Ask a trusted Christian friend to pray with you. Together, you can think through the things that make you different from others. This may open some doors you hadn’t thought about before.

Consider the Importance of Patience

Sometimes you might pray and submit yourself humbly to God, but still have to wait a while. Waiting for fulfillment makes the eventual answer unforgettable. The Bible says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life." (Proverbs 13:12) God’s calling for you is a holy calling, no matter what your job is. If you are certain you are where He wants you to be, you can be a grocery clerk, a truck driver or a dog catcher to the glory of God just as much as the preacher or full-time Christian worker can! “Whatever you do, do it from the heart for the Lord and not for people.” (Colossians 3:23)

Do You Spend Money Wisely?

Scripture: “You have planted much but harvest little…You earn money, but put it into a bag with holes.” Haggai 1:6

On a hot summer day you can actually see water evaporating from a stream. Does your money appear to be vanishing? Are you constantly spending more than you earn? Maybe the solution is not getting more money into your hands. Let’s go to God’s word to see what the Scriptures say about money. Do you believe God cares about what you do with the money you earn?

What has first place in your life, God or money?

For one month, try writing down all of your purchases. This is a good way to reveal where your money is going and what has first place in your heart. Does God have first place, or do you spend most of your money eating out or buying clothes and other material things? Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “…first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing…the attitude and character of God), and these things will be given to you also.”

How often do you help those less fortunate than you?

Selfishly using money we earn is the opposite of what the Father has instructed us to do. Do we forget to help someone else or help the church we attend? “Give, and it will be given to you…running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” (Luke 6:38)

At some point in my walk with Jesus, I realized that it was part of my obligation as a Christian to give a portion of my income to my church. The Apostle Paul told the church he planted in the city of Corinth, “On every Lord’s Day each of you should put aside something from what you have earned during the week, and use it for this offering.” (1 Corinthians 16:2)

Why Am I Sick?

Scripture: “[The Lord] said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” II Corinthians 12:9a

What is your health like? Do you know that God loves you and can work in your life, even if you are suffering physically?

What You Might Have Heard

Many Christians have heard that sickness or illness is caused by your sin or weak faith. Under Old Testament Law, God promised the nation of Israel: “If you listen to [God’s] regulations and faithfully obey them,... the Lord will protect you from all sickness” (Deuteronomy 7:12, 15). But “if you refuse to listen to the Lord your God, all these curses will come and overwhelm you (Deuteronomy 28:15), including being afflicted “with diseases” (Deuteronomy 28:21). Does that still apply today?

Sickness Itself Is Not Evidence of A Curse

In many places, God’s Word gives hope to those suffering sickness. In John 9:1-3, Jesus Himself explained that a man’s infirmity was not a punishment: “As Jesus was walking along, He saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” His disciples asked Him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.”

God Uses Our Trials For His Glory

The Apostle Paul wrote much of the New Testament. Very few Christians have been used to bring God glory as much as God used Him. However, God allowed Paul to suffer, to have “a thorn in [his] flesh” which he repeatedly “begged the Lord to take away” (II Corinthians 12:7-8). The Lord did not answer Paul’s prayer with a “yes;” instead, God used this suffering for His glory, for Paul’s good, and for the building up of the Church.

You may discover that it is God’s will for you to endure illness. It is not His will for you to accept it passively, but to ask for recovery, even recruiting others to pray along with you. (See James 5:13-15) But even in the midst of sickness and suffering, we must continue to seek the Lord, for “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them” (Romans 8:28). God can use any situation, any trials, any suffering for your good and for His glory.

What Does Forgiveness Feel Like?

Scripture: “Because you belong to Him [Christ Jesus], the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” Romans 8:2

Forgiveness is freeing. Through Jesus Christ, you have freedom from the power of sin and death in your life! This feeling of freedom can also be felt when you forgive others.

God’s Forgiveness

Freedom from sin is freedom from its guilt; this freedom is brought to us by God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ. God“...is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins” (Ephesians 1:7). You can be confident God’s grace is working in your life: “if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9). When you are forgiven, you might experience joy and the feeling a great “burden” (Matthew 11:28) has been lifted.

Forgiveness of Others

The Apostle Paul reminded Christians, “...the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13). In our passage, God connects sin with death. To fully understand what that means, we have to realize all sin leads to death. Even the angry feelings we have when we’ve been hurt are destructive. It has been said that being unforgiving is “like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

You may have feelings of freedom and joy when you think about forgiving. Or you may feel like someone does not deserve your forgiveness. But think of it this way: forgiving someone who has wronged you allows you to move on with your life while trusting God’s justice. Free your mind to focus on loving God and living the life He wants for you.

If someone is taking unfair advantage of you, or even abusing you, please get help. Forgiving someone and protecting yourself are not opposites. In some cases, uncovering the truth, (and even allowing legal consequences to come to an abusive person), may be the most redemptive thing you can do for them, as well as for yourself.

The Freedom of Letting Go

God loves us and does not hold our sins against us. “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). We do not need to “...hold a grudge against...” others (Mark 11:25). Love “...keeps no record of being wronged” (I Corinthians 13:5). Get freedom from God by accepting His forgiveness. Then, share it with others.

The Forgiving Father

Scripture: “...But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20

In Luke 15:11-32, Jesus tells a story about a loving, forgiving father who is an image of our Heavenly Father. God sees us when we stray away from Him. He even knows our greatest failures, yet He loves us and waits for us to come home to Him.

The Father is More Fair than We Think

Both sons in the story believed a lie about their father. The younger son believed the father was holding him back and keeping him from a fun and exciting life. (Luke 15:12-13). Do you reject God because you think you’ll have to give up fun?

The older son believed his father was a judge. (Luke 15:29) He thought he had to earn his father’s love and was unable to enjoy the love he already had. Are you working hard to be good enough for God to love you?

The Father is Full of Compassion (Psalm 145:8)

Jesus describes the compassion and love the father has for his son in Luke 15:20. He didn’t wait for his son with a judgmental glare or refuse to receive his son because he made mistakes. The son offered to return as a lowly servant but the father did not allow it. “He ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:22-24) He restored his son completely and celebrated his return. Nothing the son did was too big for the father to forgive.

This is what God does for you when you sin or stray away. God waits for you to come home and forgives you completely. Do we deserve this? No. He forgives us because of His love and compassion. Nothing is too big for God to forgive. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

The Father Desires a Relationship

When the prodigal son returns home, the loving father goes out to meet him and says: “This son of mine... is found!" (Luke 15:24). Do you ever forget that you are God’s child? Do you try to earn God’s love but end up feeling like a failure? “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!...” (1 John 3:1) God loves you already and wants to be your Father. 

Why Should We Forgive Others?

Scripture: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” Luke 7:41-42 (NLT)

Once Jesus shared a meal with a very judgmental person. He used this story to show that a person who understands their debt and receives forgiveness will have great love for the one who forgives. Being judgmental and unforgiving shows that you have little regard for God’s forgiveness.

Do to Others as You Would Have Them Do to You (Luke 6:31)

Jesus tells a story about a man who loaned money to two people and then cancels both debts. (Luke 7:41-42) One person owed more money than the other, so Jesus asked “Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” Simon answers, “the one who had the bigger debt forgiven,” and Jesus agrees (Luke 7:43).

Jesus said, “a person who is forgiven little shows only little love” (Luke 7:47). That shouldn’t sound like you or me. We should think of ourselves as the first person in the story rather than the second. Our debt is sin instead of money. God is perfect, holy and righteous. Any sin against Him deserves punishment, but He canceled our debt. When it’s time to forgive others, remember the huge debt of sin God canceled for you and forgive.

We All Need Forgiveness

Many people don’t think they need forgiveness. They might think, “My sins are small compared to THAT person. I’ve never committed murder or adultery.” But God has a higher standard. Jesus tells us that even being angry with another makes us guilty of murder, and looking lustfully at someone is equivalent to adultery (Matthew 5:21-22; Matthew 5:28).

This shows we all need forgiveness. The Bible goes on to say, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23). And, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Forgive Others Because Christ Forgave You (Ephesians 4:32)

Jesus died on the cross and forgave us from a debt we could not repay. Are you grateful for His sacrifice? I know I am. When others hurt you and sin, remember that you and I have hurt a perfect God. Instead of God being angry with us, He forgave us. We should treat others the exact same way.

When we forgive others, it is a small picture of God’s forgiveness. We can even make it an opportunity to share the gospel by saying: “Because God has forgiven my sins through Jesus Christ, I am able to forgive you.

Why Do Wicked People Prosper?

Scripture: “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but those whose delight is in the law of the Lord and who meditates on this law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever they do prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3

The Bible says people who delight in God’s law prosper. So, why does our experience not always match this picture? Its all about perspective. When you look too closely at a painting it can become a confusing mixture of colors that make no sense. In the same way, taking one verse out of context of the whole message of God’s Word can cloud our understanding. So lets take a step back and get a better perspective.

Avoid Eternal Destruction

Even the Psalmist struggled to understand why wicked people prospered: “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked….. until I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.” (Psalm 73:1-3; 17) The prosperity of the wicked person will not last. Throughout scripture God warns that disobedience to His commands (sin) results in death, destruction and judgement. “…sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” James 1:15b.

Live Your Life By Streams of Water

The one who chooses Jesus will live his life near streams of water. “Whoever believes in me (Jesus), as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this Jesus meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in were later to receive.” (John 7:38-39).

Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:16-18 speaks of sinking our roots in God’s love, which is found in Christ Jesus. Then, being strengthened with power through His Spirit which results in being “filled with all the fullness of God.” Meditate on Ephesians 1:1-14 and realize you have all of the resources and blessings of God in Jesus Christ.

Prospering and Bearing Fruit

How do we prosper as Christians? When we bear good fruit, we prosper. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self control.” Wow, now that sounds like a blessed life! Directly seeking happiness and prosperity through material possessions is the surest way to miss out on all God has for you. Jesus said, "one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15) Like the tree in Psalm 1,you will flourish and bring blessings to those around you when you stay connected to Jesus.