I have heard it said before that we are living in the toughest job market/economy since the Great Depression. I don't know if that's true but it can't be far off of the mark. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistic, the unemployment rate for September was 9.6%! The sad thing is that September was actually an improvement over the previous months. A year previous to that the unemployment rate was at 9.8. That is totally insane!!! Almost 10% of the adult population in the United States was without work. That's pretty scary. Especially for someone who is without work and LOOKING for a job. To be honest, right now that's me.
So I totally get the frustration that a lot of men are feeling during this tumultuous time. I know that men aren't the only ones feeling the crunch right now but it is the only perspective that I am qualified to speak from. Single moms and wives of men out of work also feel the pinch but I will let someone else more qualified speak from that perspective (maybe my wife will write a post in the next few weeks???). This is one of the hardest trials for a man. As men, we thrive off of providing for our families and taking care of them. I know, some might say that this is an archaic, primal instinct that we have outgrown but I personally believe that God created us/hardwired us with that instinct and it is a big part of who we are. So, as men, when that ability to provide for others is taken away, our identity is in question or at the very least takes a hit.
If you are going through this right now, I want to challenge your perspective on that. Over the past week, I started to think about another part of our identity as men, the warrior. I really believe that as men, we have the desire to fight. All you have to do is look no further than your kids to fully understand that. My son, Kaiden, is not even 2 yet. His favorite thing to do right now is punch, kick, hit and bite things to see what reaction he gets. The cats now know to run in fear when they hear his tiny footsteps. I call him, my little barbarian. ALL HAIL KAIDEN THE CONQUERER! He's a total beast.
All that to say, from the moment we are little boys, our dreams are of being soldiers, knights, Jedis, and pirates. We love the idea of going to battle over a just cause. If you are out of work right now, let me challenge you to summon your inner warrior. Strap on your shield and buckler! Just because you are not working right now doesn't mean that you don't want to or that you are somehow less of a man.
Look at it like this, as a warrior, there are times when you fight with the best of weapons and are well taken care of. You fly F16s, you have kevlar vests, you have robot drones to scout out the enemy, you have night vision goggles and plenty of backup. Then there are times when you are out on the battle field and you are cut off from support. Your shoes have holes in them, your clothes are threadbare, your AK47 jams once in a while, your rations are low and you aren't sure if you will return home. There is a verse that I've been chewing on the last few weeks here it is:
Philippians 4:11-12
Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
Just think of the apostle Paul in a cold, dank jail cell penning this letter. He is waxing elequoent about joy and contentment with holes in his shoes and ragged clothes. This vagabond warrior is resolute in his mission and even witnesses to the jailer that watches him. What perseverance! Paul who calls others "fellow soldiers in Christ" had also taken a few hits. He was "beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;" This same soldier for Christ had learned the secret to winning the battle. First and foremost he let God go before him. Secondly, he learned that a fierce warrior must learn how to be okay with his circumstances regardless of his environment. Warriors train in a variety of settings so that they can be ready for anything. That includes their financial situation. Paul had experienced some pretty amazing highs and some exceptionally bad lows.
When you have been to great depths, something crazy happens. You think to yourself, "I have lived out the worst case scenario...and SURVIVED!" It allows you to realize that you don't have to play it safe to succeed and as a matter of fact it shows a lack of faith to live your life in that way. Suffering need allows you to hunger for the right things and gives you a proper perspective on life. In the times of prosperity he will remember the times when he was hungry and not take it for granted. So that whatever circumstances they are dropped in, their environment won't effect the fight.
What battle are you engaged in right now? Do you feel ill equipped to handle the Enemy? Do you feel his hot breathe breathing down your neck, unable to defeat him? Remember that God is with you. Remember that He is for you and no one can be against you. (Romans 8:31) Remember that a vagabond warrior isn't reliant on his weapons of warfare but the General that fights ahead of Him and trust that He is with you. Trust that He is working "all things together for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) Don't let your circumstances destroy God's plan for your life. Fight and know that the best chance of survival that you have is to stay close to the Lord of Lord's and King of Kings.
So I totally get the frustration that a lot of men are feeling during this tumultuous time. I know that men aren't the only ones feeling the crunch right now but it is the only perspective that I am qualified to speak from. Single moms and wives of men out of work also feel the pinch but I will let someone else more qualified speak from that perspective (maybe my wife will write a post in the next few weeks???). This is one of the hardest trials for a man. As men, we thrive off of providing for our families and taking care of them. I know, some might say that this is an archaic, primal instinct that we have outgrown but I personally believe that God created us/hardwired us with that instinct and it is a big part of who we are. So, as men, when that ability to provide for others is taken away, our identity is in question or at the very least takes a hit.
If you are going through this right now, I want to challenge your perspective on that. Over the past week, I started to think about another part of our identity as men, the warrior. I really believe that as men, we have the desire to fight. All you have to do is look no further than your kids to fully understand that. My son, Kaiden, is not even 2 yet. His favorite thing to do right now is punch, kick, hit and bite things to see what reaction he gets. The cats now know to run in fear when they hear his tiny footsteps. I call him, my little barbarian. ALL HAIL KAIDEN THE CONQUERER! He's a total beast.
All that to say, from the moment we are little boys, our dreams are of being soldiers, knights, Jedis, and pirates. We love the idea of going to battle over a just cause. If you are out of work right now, let me challenge you to summon your inner warrior. Strap on your shield and buckler! Just because you are not working right now doesn't mean that you don't want to or that you are somehow less of a man.
Look at it like this, as a warrior, there are times when you fight with the best of weapons and are well taken care of. You fly F16s, you have kevlar vests, you have robot drones to scout out the enemy, you have night vision goggles and plenty of backup. Then there are times when you are out on the battle field and you are cut off from support. Your shoes have holes in them, your clothes are threadbare, your AK47 jams once in a while, your rations are low and you aren't sure if you will return home. There is a verse that I've been chewing on the last few weeks here it is:
Philippians 4:11-12
Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
Just think of the apostle Paul in a cold, dank jail cell penning this letter. He is waxing elequoent about joy and contentment with holes in his shoes and ragged clothes. This vagabond warrior is resolute in his mission and even witnesses to the jailer that watches him. What perseverance! Paul who calls others "fellow soldiers in Christ" had also taken a few hits. He was "beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;" This same soldier for Christ had learned the secret to winning the battle. First and foremost he let God go before him. Secondly, he learned that a fierce warrior must learn how to be okay with his circumstances regardless of his environment. Warriors train in a variety of settings so that they can be ready for anything. That includes their financial situation. Paul had experienced some pretty amazing highs and some exceptionally bad lows.
When you have been to great depths, something crazy happens. You think to yourself, "I have lived out the worst case scenario...and SURVIVED!" It allows you to realize that you don't have to play it safe to succeed and as a matter of fact it shows a lack of faith to live your life in that way. Suffering need allows you to hunger for the right things and gives you a proper perspective on life. In the times of prosperity he will remember the times when he was hungry and not take it for granted. So that whatever circumstances they are dropped in, their environment won't effect the fight.
What battle are you engaged in right now? Do you feel ill equipped to handle the Enemy? Do you feel his hot breathe breathing down your neck, unable to defeat him? Remember that God is with you. Remember that He is for you and no one can be against you. (Romans 8:31) Remember that a vagabond warrior isn't reliant on his weapons of warfare but the General that fights ahead of Him and trust that He is with you. Trust that He is working "all things together for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) Don't let your circumstances destroy God's plan for your life. Fight and know that the best chance of survival that you have is to stay close to the Lord of Lord's and King of Kings.
You have NO idea how much I needed these words tonight. I'm currently at the church, alone, as I showed up just in case any of the other women that I ususally pray with (for our unemployed husbands) showed up. I didn't want to be here (love the honesty?) but came "just in case". Thanks for the reminder of WHO God is...King of Kings and Lord of Lords and that I'm REALLY not in this alone (because of being his child and, unfortunately, the other almost 10% of the population! Often, walking this road, I can feel like I'm the only one "in" it. I HATE that you and Jennifer are also but, for tonight (as I'm reading this), I'm glad to be reading that you get it with me/Tom.
ReplyDeletePraying for you guys...can't wait for the day when this "fight" (for both of us) is over!!