Continuing on in my memorization of Bible verses for the unemployed, I decided to memorize 1 Peter 5:7: "Cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you."
Waves of panic encroaching on your everyday life and thoughts? Bouts of hopelessness and feelings of helplessness?
The truth about it all is that God's got it all under control, and that He demands of us to cast our care onto him. His yoke, as it were, is light. Our yoke, clearly experienced by the unemployed, is extremely heavy.
When we cast our cares upon him, no matter how often (it could be daily, by the hour, by the minute even!), we're living the instructions set out by God. What benefit could anxiety have for the unemployed person? It does nothing to improve, benefit, or encourage. Instead, anxiety destroys and divides the spirit, taking the false claims as truth and reality. God has our lives firmly in his hands. If we forget that, we are forgetting the truth.
1 Peter 5:7 reminds me that God cares about me in ways that I can't understand. By trusting him, and entrusting my worries and anxieties with him, I can then experience the fullness and freedom of a life found in God.
Showing posts with label bible verse for unemployed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bible verse for unemployed. Show all posts
Friday, October 22, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Anything and Everything: Philippians 4:6
I find it immensely difficult at times to not worry, to not be anxious about my current situation. Unemployment is a rollercoaster I want to get off, but this time it's not letting me off so easily.
Philippians 4:6 says to stop my worrying, and instead, replace it with prayer:
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (NLT)
I'm hoping that by memorizing the words of life and truth, and by keeping it closer to my heart and on the tip of my tongue, I will be able to ride the rollercoaster with a little more comfort and peace.
If I'm honest about my life, I have to be thankful for everything that I have. Skills that go unnoticed, provisions that continue to pour into my life, love that surrounds and sustains me, talents and abilities that are unique to me. So to fight my worry, a change in heart to one of appreciation and thankfulness is key.
Hoping you're encouraged by this quick post.
Philippians 4:6 says to stop my worrying, and instead, replace it with prayer:
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (NLT)
I'm hoping that by memorizing the words of life and truth, and by keeping it closer to my heart and on the tip of my tongue, I will be able to ride the rollercoaster with a little more comfort and peace.
If I'm honest about my life, I have to be thankful for everything that I have. Skills that go unnoticed, provisions that continue to pour into my life, love that surrounds and sustains me, talents and abilities that are unique to me. So to fight my worry, a change in heart to one of appreciation and thankfulness is key.
Hoping you're encouraged by this quick post.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Jeremiah 29:11
For some strange reason, I've managed to memorize key Bible verses that are reminders of God's Truth, especially throughout my period of unemployment. In random moments of panic and anxiety, right through to times of intentional prayer, I have found the Bible verses memorized helps me to maintain focus.
Jeremiah 29:11 happens to be the third verse I've memorized since last week:
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." (NIV)
Not knowing the plan is part of my frustration, but I am reminded that it's also part of my solution. Being goal-oriented is often a good attribute to have, but when you're unemployed, the goal is much more difficult to achieve. The verse reminds me that God's in control, that He is sovereign, that He hasn't forgotten about me, and that He has designed a plan for my life that is for my benefit (and not my harm).
Unemployment brings with it such immense uncertainty, and trusting that God's plan for us will always be for our good, will bring us back in tune with His purpose for our life. I know all too well that this faith is not always present in my life, that in my state of mind, I can spinout and think that there is no hope, no meaning, no plan. Yet the better side of me knows that Truth always trumps my own emotions and feelings. If I have the verse in my head and heart, I can quickly get off that merry-go-round of emotions that tends to take me on the verge of emotional exhaustion.
One trick that I've found useful in memorizing the Bible verses is to begin by stating the citation, and then recite the complete verse. Then after completely reciting the verse, end it with the citation once more. For example, here's what I would literally say:
"Jeremiah 29:11. For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11."
I hope this post will be an encouragement to you, especially those who are in the same situation as me.
Jeremiah 29:11 happens to be the third verse I've memorized since last week:
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." (NIV)
Not knowing the plan is part of my frustration, but I am reminded that it's also part of my solution. Being goal-oriented is often a good attribute to have, but when you're unemployed, the goal is much more difficult to achieve. The verse reminds me that God's in control, that He is sovereign, that He hasn't forgotten about me, and that He has designed a plan for my life that is for my benefit (and not my harm).
Unemployment brings with it such immense uncertainty, and trusting that God's plan for us will always be for our good, will bring us back in tune with His purpose for our life. I know all too well that this faith is not always present in my life, that in my state of mind, I can spinout and think that there is no hope, no meaning, no plan. Yet the better side of me knows that Truth always trumps my own emotions and feelings. If I have the verse in my head and heart, I can quickly get off that merry-go-round of emotions that tends to take me on the verge of emotional exhaustion.
One trick that I've found useful in memorizing the Bible verses is to begin by stating the citation, and then recite the complete verse. Then after completely reciting the verse, end it with the citation once more. For example, here's what I would literally say:
"Jeremiah 29:11. For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11."
I hope this post will be an encouragement to you, especially those who are in the same situation as me.
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