A: In these uncertain times, you
are not alone in your
concerns. Being out of work must be a very trying
experience, and I am
sorry to hear you are going through hard times.
I feel sure that you are probably taking the steps
that you need to
take to alter these circumstances - for example,
actively looking for
employment. But, once we are doing all we can do
on the
material plane, it is our
next job to deal with worry and anxiety, which can
paralyze the best of us:
(48:7.21)
19. Anxiety
must be abandoned. The disappointments hardest to
bear are those which never come.
In times when material concerns press hard on us,
that is the time that
we can benefit by re-framing our view so that
these circumstances become
opportunities for spiritual growth. Our outer
circumstances may not
change
appreciably, but our inner resilience will
increase - our ability to
overcome will increase.
(3:5.5)
The
uncertainties of life and the vicissitudes of
existence do
not in any manner contradict the concept of the
universal sovereignty
of God. All evolutionary creature life is beset by
certain
inevitabilities. Consider the following:
1. Is courage—strength
of
character—desirable? Then must man be reared in an
environment which necessitates grappling with
hardships and reacting to
disappointments.
3. Is hope—the
grandeur of
trust—desirable? Then human existence must
constantly be
confronted with insecurities and recurrent
uncertainties.
When we find ourselves in the crucible of
difficult times, it might be
easy to put our attention on our lack - lack of
money, lack of
employment, or our fears - fear of poverty, fear
of loss. But despite
material circumstances, when we dedicate our lives
to a higher goal -
for example, the enlargement of
the
brotherhood
of man through unselfish
service, we can
find the courage to
transcend purely
material concerns, and we can cultivate the hope
that material
circumstances will eventually change to support
our higher goals.
It is
in these times that God can become our best
friend. In our weakness,
God is
strong for us.
And you have that friend right within you.
God
lives within your mind,
and he wants to help you...
(111:7.2)
May I admonish
you to heed the distant echo of the
Adjuster’s faithful call to your soul? The
indwelling
Adjuster cannot stop or even materially alter your
career struggle of
time; the Adjuster cannot lessen the hardships of
life as you journey
on through this world of toil. The divine
indweller can only patiently
forbear while you fight the battle of life as it
is lived on your
planet; but you could, if you only would—as you
work and
worry, as you fight and toil—permit the valiant
Adjuster to
fight with you and for you. You could be so
comforted and inspired, so
enthralled and intrigued, if you would only allow
the Adjuster
constantly to bring forth the pictures of the real
motive, the final
aim, and the eternal purpose of all this
difficult, uphill struggle
with the commonplace problems of your present
material world.
(156:5.13)
God-knowing individuals are not discouraged by
misfortune or
downcast by disappointment. Believers are immune
to the depression
consequent upon purely material upheavals; spirit
livers are not
perturbed by the episodes of the material world.
Candidates for eternal
life are practitioners of an invigorating and
constructive technique
for meeting all of the vicissitudes and
harassments of mortal living.
Every day a true believer lives, he finds it
easier to do the right
thing.
I would suggest to you that the circumstances in
which you find
yourself are fertile ground for developing a
strong character and also
for developing a universe view of your life and
your destiny - far
above the material problems that you are facing.
Once we begin
concentrating on the higher things of life,
the lower things fall into place. It may take some
time, and your
circumstances may not change quickly, but you will
feel much less
anxiety when you place your focus on something
higher - when you place
your trust in God, who loves you with a Fatherly
affection, and who
knows you better than you know yourself. Most
importantly, you must
remember that you are not alone.
Stay close to God. In times of trouble, God is our
great
refuge. He is our firm foundation - the rock upon
which we can safely
stand and not be buffeted by the winds of change.
A favorite prayer/phrase of mine is: "Safe thus
far..."
Thanks again for writing us with your concerns. I
am sorry that you are
having this trouble in your life. Above all, don't
let fear and anxiety gain the
upper hand. I pray that when you follow the
links I have provided and do a little more reading
and praying, and a
little less worrying, that
you will find a renewed sense of inner strength.
Also, I pray
that you'll get some direction and possibly even a
new opportunity to lead
you into calmer waters.
