Living Free - Feb. 15, 2011
Downsized or Fired?
Today's Scripture
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. "How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!" Psalm 139:13-18 NLT
Thoughts for Today
In these days of industrial downsizing, as many as 3.5 million workers are laid off or fired each year. Loss of a job can produce anger, guilt, grief and fear.
If you have recently lost your job, you might be feeling like a complete failure. It is vital for you to understand that your worth is not measured by what other people think of you—it is measured by God's love for you. And his love is unlimited and unconditional.
While it is important to evaluate your own job performance and learn from any mistakes you might have made, it is also important to remember that you are precious to God and he wants to help you through this loss.
Consider this …
Remember—you are special. Not because of what you have or haven't done. Because God made you and his workmanship is marvelous! His thoughts about you are precious. When you wake up each morning, he will still be with you!
Evaluate what has happened, learn from it, forgive if you've been treated unfairly … then move on, trusting God for his plan for you, his help, his love and his strength.
Father, help me to remember that my worth is not determined by what I've done or not done … it's not determined by what other people think of me … but it's determined by the fact that you designed me, and you loved me enough to send Jesus to die for me. Thank you for loving me … thank you for caring … thank you that with your help, I can move one with hope. In Jesus' name …
These thoughts were drawn from …
Handling Loss and Grief: How to Face Losses in Life and Grieve Christianly by Raymond T. Brock, Ed.D. This study teaches participants what the Bible has to say about handling the losses of life. It offers biblical coping methods for facing loss.
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