In Him We Have Our Being
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Acts 17:27-28
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'
My household has clung very tightly to the truths revealed in this passage throughout the past several months. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being’ describes and explains how our life has been throughout the past 8 months. To say we’ve been in turmoil and had our world fall apart, built-up, fall apart, built-up . . . well, it’s kind of an understatement.
My husband lost his job in September. He was well-paid and working in an industry he had become quite expert in over the years. A series of circumstances led to his being let go. Not his fault, just the way of the world these days. I didn’t panic. Well, I did panic a little, because I had left my good-paying job several months earlier to pursue my interest in writing on a full time basis. But we remained optimistic and resolute. We continued to trust in God and His provision for us and our family.
Weeks passed. Months passed. I took a part time job and continued writing. Several more months passed. Hot dog! We hit the jackpot. He got a job offer. It was in a brand new arena for him, working as a salesman. Okay. I went back to work full-time while he began his adventure in commissioned sales. We agreed it would only be until he was able to bring his income back to a particular level – not the level it had been, but to a level that would allow us to live modestly but comfortably. We remained faithful, resolute, and completely trusted in God.
This job turned out to be dreadful in every way! “God, we trust you, but what’s the deal?” was an ongoing question raised on high. He stuck it out, certain that there were lessons God wanted him to learn – and us to learn as a couple and a family. Months passed. He continued to search for other work. The job got worse and we began to notice a strain on our marriage. My husband implemented what he calls the “screaming prayer” during this time. ‘GOD, I LOVE YOU AND TRUST YOU BUT I NEED ANOTHER JOB—NOW!” I am certain many of these prayers were more ardent, direct and probably a bit colorful!
Wonderful! A new job! He was very happy, though salary remained substantially less than it had been in September. But it was fun, he enjoyed it, learned a lot, had a great deal of freedom. You name it, he had it going on! Two weeks ago his boss flew into town to tell him the company had decided to “go another route” and that they were letting their regional sales reps go, effective at 5:00 pm on that day. By this time, we were pretty much shock proof. I immediately said I thought this latest job was merely a stop gap to get him out of the toxic job he so desperately wanted rid of. We still kept the faith.
Next Wednesday, my husband starts yet another new job. This one has the potential to bring his salary up to the “last September level.” I’m not quitting my job yet. We’re still keeping the faith. We have learned to seek God and to rely upon him alone through all of this.
We felt we were faithful and faith-filled. The past several months have shown us what it really means to rely upon God and the promise of His provision for us. Throughout all of this we have continued to feel blessed and cared for and cared about.
I write this not to focus on our faith and our trust in God. I write it to offer hope to those who may be experiencing a bump in the road, or a curve in the road, or maybe even a huge earthquake in their previously comfortable, satisfactory life. I write this as a caution to those who have begun to feel self-reliant and self-realized. Don’t be fooled for one minute. Without God, nothing we have in this world, nor anything we do on this earth makes a bit of difference. God is the source of everything. Not man. Not money. Not power or wealth, and certainly not you or me.
It is God and God alone in whom we live and move and have our being. My prayer today is that you never stop seeking after him, and reaching out for him. And that you find him in your coming and going, in your living and your doing.
Mary
Labels: faith, job, work
