Unemployed, Underemployed, Have Faith?

Hallelujah, Thank the Lawd!

It has been eight months that I have been back to work, after being out of work for nearly as long – eight months.

I am grateful, and dare I say even more so now, to be among the working.  I still have friends that either remain unemployed or underemployed after months and some more than a year.

As a person of faith, I look to my relationship with God as a sustaining force and rock in the midst of challenging times.  And, although I am not preaching to anyone, I highly recommend prayer, positive confession (and mental attitude) and filtering in times of challenge (Proverbs 3:6).

When I say filtering, I mean we should really be mindful of the things we allow into our purview, or “range of interest or activity that can be anticipated” as defined by Lord Webster.  A key I have found during good and challenging times is to watch what you are feeding your mind.  If you have been out of work for months and months, do you really need to spend time every day listening to commentators pontificate about how bad thingsare?  You are in the middle of it, so you don’t need to be reminded how bad things are.

What we say and what we think are keys and indicators of where we are today and good indicators of where we will be in the near and not so distant future.

I am not so naive to not understand that people are facing challenges of all types all over, but as my wife so aptly says to me from time to time,  “Our attitude is not determined by what happens to us, it is determined by how we react to, and think about what happens to and around us.”

Facing a challenge?  Focus on what is “right,” not on what is wrong.  Sick in your body? Focus on healing.  Out of work, focus on the fact that if anyone is working, you can be too.  After all, you only need one job, right? 

As a general rule, I believe faith can trump facts any day.  And, an attitude of gratitude can go a long way towards keeping you on the right track and moving you where you would like to be.

Question: What could you change today to make sure your tomorrow is different?