Our lives are full of transitions and change.
There are times when things are good and then all of a sudden everything is turned on its head and we have to navigate the unknown.
Of all the transitions we go through, one of the toughest to face is the unexpected loss of employment.
So how can we, as Christians, prepare ourselves for this kind of transition?
Somehow we’ve gotten to a place where we find our identity and worth in our jobs.
Think of every introduction you’ve made. You meet someone new and one of the first questions is always, “What do you do?”
Our answers always seem to refer back to our employment or career.
Think of the games or icebreakers where you have to describe yourself. We can’t name five things about ourselves before we mention our line of work.
And there’s certainly nothing wrong with taking joy and pride in our work—in fact, God calls us to do so.
But too often, we let our job define who we are, instead of our relationship with God.
This is why the loss of a job or having a season of transition can be so devastating.
It’s not always the actual loss of work that hurts, but when we’ve placed our identity and worth in our job, it can seem like we’ve lost a part of ourselves. And with each transition, it’s like we have to rediscover who we are all over again.
It can be exhausting to redefine ourselves every few years because of an employment change.
But the foundation of who we are should never change. Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Our foundation of who we are has to be in the One who never changes. The One who remains the same no matter how many transitions we go through.
We have to know what God says about us and how He sees us so our identity is found in Him – not in something or someone else.
John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
We are God’s children. We are created in His image and this is the basis of who we are.
Our identity as one of God’s children will never change, no matter what job we have.
In Matthew 6:21 it says, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
How many times have we really considered where our treasures are—and therefore our hearts? What’s in our hearts is where – and in what – we place our importance.
But we should treasure and hold fast to what God’s Word says about us. Then we’ll be doing what Jesus says in Matthew 7:24 – building our identity on the solid rock that is His Word.
If we build our identity and worth on a foundation of sand, we’ll find ourselves on shaky ground when the winds of change blow our way.
So take your stand on the solid rock of Christ and know that your worth is defined by Him.