I am writing this a few days before Christmas, and I am surprised by the lack of good cheer, from some people that I know. This season comes with extra bills, and for some, there are fears about employment and finances in the New Year.

So, how are you doing?

I hear the message many times every day, that Jesus is the reason for the season, and that message is very spiritual. It’s all about God.

And now, what about us? Is our spiritual God involved in the practical economy? Can we do something besides worry? And why worry? What could possibly go wrong?

We need jobs and finances to live, and there are people near me who aren’t making it. Homeless tent camps keep appearing in parks near us. I don’t want anyone close to me to go that way.

But we do have several employment problems these days:

AI (artificial intelligence):

Can you believe that you might be replaced, or at least demoted, because of computer software? Changing technology could affect the job market, and make life harder for us.

Debt:

We borrow too much. We know that. Our debt model is based on the idea that we can earn money, at a steady rate, for a lifetime.

Many years ago, a banker called me and offered help in dealing with some annoying debts that would not go away. I can explain it all in two words; credit cards.

I didn’t see a problem, but the banker did. I followed his directions for several years, and my debts were mostly paid when that big thing happened.

I lost my job. I did eventually get another job, but I had a transition time without much money.

Looking back, it’s hard to imagine how I would have coped if I lost my job when I still had debts. I think God sent that banker. Our easy-finance economy keeps us on the edge of disaster.

Emergencies:

A younger couple close to me had an emergency with home heating, at the beginning of winter. Some of us are helping, but I can see how their finances could spin out of control. Imagine losing a job at a time like that.

Whatever:

You know your life. We can’t afford career and financial setbacks in our times. That young couple with the house repairs thinks the housing market may devalue soon. Imagine if they are correct. Imagine trying to sell your house to pay off debts, at a time when the value of the house is too low.

What scenario scares you? Inflation, climate change, COVID-19, or something similar, old age creeping up, or whatever. Many things can affect our employment and finances. It’s easy to worry. If you are wondering, I’m employed now, and I’m old enough to retire, with some pension money. If I worry, my attention is on my family and friends.

So, what is the spiritual answer to our employment problems?

Quit!

I have my employment stories and my struggles, but I finally understand. We make money and status into a god to be worshiped, and we should worship the real God. Our money and status god will fail us, and that could hurt a sincere believer.

While I was concerned about people near me, for their finances and careers, I had an aha moment. I knew the answer, but I couldn’t see it. I was trained in Project Management, but somehow I missed the point. Two thousand years ago, a carpenter from a small town started a project to change the world. Really.

People laughed at Him, but He was very successful. He wanted to organize a group, like his own corporation, to get the work started. That’s why He took a walk to a lake shore.

At the shore, He found what he needed, fishermen. That man Jesus recruited common fishermen into His organization. Today we call them disciples.

Those fisher folk were poor, but they were hard-working. They didn’t have a career, they had an attitude, and that carpenter could build on that.

Workers always have a job. When they lose one, they find another. My old father told me that when I was starting out. He didn’t advise a career path, he advised a personal attitude.

He was raised on a dairy farm, and yes, he worked hard. I only heard him complain about work one time. He got this strained look on his face and said, “I hate milking cows.” Otherwise, he was a worker and he always found something to do.

Here is the spiritual truth: It’s about you, not the external things like a career. Workers always have work.

A few years after that lake shore walk and recruitment effort, a young man named Timothy became a leader in a branch of that corporation. We would call him a pastor in a church, and two thousand years ago that was a bizarre career choice. The best advice Timothy received was about attitude, and he was successful, in his lifetime.

He was told:

Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarrelling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2: 14 and 15)

Imagine taking that to work.