By Lataya Ballard
Part 2 of Overcoming Job Loss Grief
Opportunities are knocking for you to Use Your Talents!
Some prefer to call being between jobs as being “between opportunities”. But honestly, you’re never between opportunities.
You’ve always got an opportunity to do something – whether or not it is gainful employment is not necessarily the issue.
When you’re between jobs you have an opportunity to do so many things with your talents, because the Lord gives us many
talents – plural, not singular, according to our ability. Some of us haven’t been using those talents not because of our lack
of ability but because of our lack of availability.
You have many talents and gifts that you can use to help someone else. You may have talents that you were not using in
your previous job. Some of those talents might only be available when you’re not working a job. Avail yourself to the Lord,
pray and ask the Him for guidance as you seek the current purpose of your talents.
Opportunities are knocking for you to Be Productive!
You are responsible for changing your current situation from where it is to where you want it to be. “Be transformed by the
renewing of your mind” and understand that part of being productive means having productive thinking. Many times when
we come across a bump in the road of life we keep driving but we harp on what might have happened to our vehicle.
Your mind is like a vehicle traveling down many roads. You’re in the drivers seat so make sure the Lord is giving you the
directions. Be careful about the road you drive on – that is, the path your mind goes down. The road to your destination
may be bumpy and you may need to watch for detour and exit signs. God will either give you confirmation to continue on
your path or exit and get on a new highway. But remember that a parked car can go nowhere. When between jobs don’t let
your mind turn into a parked car.
It is easy to find ways to be productive if you look in the right places. Your church, along with the local missions, almost
always needs more volunteers. Publications look for “experts” to share advice on various subjects so look into freelance
writing opportunities. Be a mentor, coach or other role model. Don’t let yourself be fooled into believing that where you are
in life determines who you are. Just because you’re between jobs now doesn’t mean you’re not a role model (which leads us
to the next couple of points).
Opportunities are knocking for you to Share Your Life With Others!
No man (or woman) is an island. If God had intended for us not to share our lives with one another I don’t think he would
have created so many of us. Look for ways to share your life with others; here are a few examples. Do hospital visits.
Volunteer at a help or crisis center – you can help and be a witness for the Lord. Join a political campaign (bet you weren’t
expecting that one!). You might be surprised at the exposure you’ll receive, the lessons you will learn, and the talents you
might discover. Call that family member that’s been sick and find out if they need you to come by and do some grocery
shopping, laundry or other tasks that might temporarily be too hard on them.
How do people see you? A better question is: how do you see yourself?
Who does the Word of God say you are? It doesn’t say that who you are and what you do are synonymous. In this culture,
we often get more wrapped in what we do for a living than living. When you are leading a full life, your job does not define
you. You “do for a living” – do not “live for a doing”. Your self-image determines how others see you so while you’re
between jobs know that there’s plenty of work to do, work on your spirit, your self image, esteem and worth.
God loves you so much and He wants you to love yourself. If you don’t, then how can you love others? So remember, your
first job is to love Him, second job to love others – the rest is up for grabs.
What is Reinventing Yourself?
Reinventing yourself, turning over a new leaf, becoming a new creature, doesn’t it seem like these all have something in
common? When a person gives their life to Christ it is as if they are being reinvented. They become a new creature. But
contrary to popular belief, the old you does not vanish. It takes work to reinvent yourself, your habits, your desires and
goals. The Lord helps us along the way but He wants us to CHOOSE the right way and to do this we must reinvent what we
believe to be true about our actions and even our possibilities.
Reinvention in your career is not rehab or resurrection. It’s more like renew, revise, reassess. What I mean is when you
rehabilitate you overcome some obstacle that prevented you from living the way you were accustomed and a resurrection is
bringing to life the dead. Reinvention of yourself is not going back to an old dead lifestyle or way of thinking. Reinvention is
more like taking what’s left and making it better than it was before. “What’s left” may be more than you started out with, it
may be less, but reassess your talents, revise some of your goals, renew your self and your relationships.
Think about what the Word says.
Read the Bible, find scriptures that motivate you and as my pastor says, don’t just read or memorize them but get them in
your DNA! Getting 3 John 1:2 in your DNA may start like this, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in
health, just as your soul prospers.” But as your get it in your system and it becomes a part of you it becomes “I shall
prosper in all things. I am in good health. I prosper in all things even as my soul prospers.”
From the Penthouse to the Poorhouse by Kay Haugen addresses how this scripture clearly says, “… even as your soul
prospers.” That means as Paul wrote this, he prayed that the disciples he wrote to would prosper as much as their soul
prospered, not necessarily more than the soul prospers because the things of this world – even jobs – are temporal.
Temporary things are not more important than that which is eternal. As a born again believer in the Lord God Almighty, and
believing that Jesus Christ is Lord, a person has eternal life. Their soul lives eternally. With that reminder, it makes it easier
to clearly see how important it is to God that you prosper on Earth as it is in Heaven. Even the model prayer declares that
as the Lord’s will. So while you’re between jobs work on your soul and mind (spirit).
Now you know the elements you need to use to reinvent yourself for success. Address and move past your grief. Assess
your talents. Recognize opportunities to share your life. You may find that through this process that it’s time to try a new
road instead of trying to drive a parked car. In due season, you will reap if you do not faint. And what “faint” means is if you
don’t give up on your first mission in life and that is to do God’s will – to love your neighbor as yourself. Continue to do what’
s right, live and work (even volunteer work!) as if you’re working for the Lord. Let the Lord direct your path and you will
certainly walk on the right one. Start your new beginning today and a reinvention will happen for you! – LNB
Opportunities are knocking for you to Use Your Talents!
Some prefer to call being between jobs as being “between opportunities”. But honestly, you’re never between opportunities.
You’ve always got an opportunity to do something – whether or not it is gainful employment is not necessarily the issue.
When you’re between jobs you have an opportunity to do so many things with your talents, because the Lord gives us many
talents – plural, not singular, according to our ability. Some of us haven’t been using those talents not because of our lack
of ability but because of our lack of availability.
You have many talents and gifts that you can use to help someone else. You may have talents that you were not using in
your previous job. Some of those talents might only be available when you’re not working a job. Avail yourself to the Lord,
pray and ask the Him for guidance as you seek the current purpose of your talents.
Opportunities are knocking for you to Be Productive!
You are responsible for changing your current situation from where it is to where you want it to be. “Be transformed by the
renewing of your mind” and understand that part of being productive means having productive thinking. Many times when
we come across a bump in the road of life we keep driving but we harp on what might have happened to our vehicle.
Your mind is like a vehicle traveling down many roads. You’re in the drivers seat so make sure the Lord is giving you the
directions. Be careful about the road you drive on – that is, the path your mind goes down. The road to your destination
may be bumpy and you may need to watch for detour and exit signs. God will either give you confirmation to continue on
your path or exit and get on a new highway. But remember that a parked car can go nowhere. When between jobs don’t let
your mind turn into a parked car.
It is easy to find ways to be productive if you look in the right places. Your church, along with the local missions, almost
always needs more volunteers. Publications look for “experts” to share advice on various subjects so look into freelance
writing opportunities. Be a mentor, coach or other role model. Don’t let yourself be fooled into believing that where you are
in life determines who you are. Just because you’re between jobs now doesn’t mean you’re not a role model (which leads us
to the next couple of points).
Opportunities are knocking for you to Share Your Life With Others!
No man (or woman) is an island. If God had intended for us not to share our lives with one another I don’t think he would
have created so many of us. Look for ways to share your life with others; here are a few examples. Do hospital visits.
Volunteer at a help or crisis center – you can help and be a witness for the Lord. Join a political campaign (bet you weren’t
expecting that one!). You might be surprised at the exposure you’ll receive, the lessons you will learn, and the talents you
might discover. Call that family member that’s been sick and find out if they need you to come by and do some grocery
shopping, laundry or other tasks that might temporarily be too hard on them.
How do people see you? A better question is: how do you see yourself?
Who does the Word of God say you are? It doesn’t say that who you are and what you do are synonymous. In this culture,
we often get more wrapped in what we do for a living than living. When you are leading a full life, your job does not define
you. You “do for a living” – do not “live for a doing”. Your self-image determines how others see you so while you’re
between jobs know that there’s plenty of work to do, work on your spirit, your self image, esteem and worth.
God loves you so much and He wants you to love yourself. If you don’t, then how can you love others? So remember, your
first job is to love Him, second job to love others – the rest is up for grabs.
What is Reinventing Yourself?
Reinventing yourself, turning over a new leaf, becoming a new creature, doesn’t it seem like these all have something in
common? When a person gives their life to Christ it is as if they are being reinvented. They become a new creature. But
contrary to popular belief, the old you does not vanish. It takes work to reinvent yourself, your habits, your desires and
goals. The Lord helps us along the way but He wants us to CHOOSE the right way and to do this we must reinvent what we
believe to be true about our actions and even our possibilities.
Reinvention in your career is not rehab or resurrection. It’s more like renew, revise, reassess. What I mean is when you
rehabilitate you overcome some obstacle that prevented you from living the way you were accustomed and a resurrection is
bringing to life the dead. Reinvention of yourself is not going back to an old dead lifestyle or way of thinking. Reinvention is
more like taking what’s left and making it better than it was before. “What’s left” may be more than you started out with, it
may be less, but reassess your talents, revise some of your goals, renew your self and your relationships.
Think about what the Word says.
Read the Bible, find scriptures that motivate you and as my pastor says, don’t just read or memorize them but get them in
your DNA! Getting 3 John 1:2 in your DNA may start like this, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in
health, just as your soul prospers.” But as your get it in your system and it becomes a part of you it becomes “I shall
prosper in all things. I am in good health. I prosper in all things even as my soul prospers.”
From the Penthouse to the Poorhouse by Kay Haugen addresses how this scripture clearly says, “… even as your soul
prospers.” That means as Paul wrote this, he prayed that the disciples he wrote to would prosper as much as their soul
prospered, not necessarily more than the soul prospers because the things of this world – even jobs – are temporal.
Temporary things are not more important than that which is eternal. As a born again believer in the Lord God Almighty, and
believing that Jesus Christ is Lord, a person has eternal life. Their soul lives eternally. With that reminder, it makes it easier
to clearly see how important it is to God that you prosper on Earth as it is in Heaven. Even the model prayer declares that
as the Lord’s will. So while you’re between jobs work on your soul and mind (spirit).
Now you know the elements you need to use to reinvent yourself for success. Address and move past your grief. Assess
your talents. Recognize opportunities to share your life. You may find that through this process that it’s time to try a new
road instead of trying to drive a parked car. In due season, you will reap if you do not faint. And what “faint” means is if you
don’t give up on your first mission in life and that is to do God’s will – to love your neighbor as yourself. Continue to do what’
s right, live and work (even volunteer work!) as if you’re working for the Lord. Let the Lord direct your path and you will
certainly walk on the right one. Start your new beginning today and a reinvention will happen for you! – LNB
Turning Everyday Occurrences into Everyday Opportunities
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