I have lived long enough to know that life is not fair, as I have been unfortunately terminated from several positions in my career. Most of these terminations came under the heading of “laid off” or “reductions in force,” but that did not ease the plight of unemployment. There were a couple of positions where I was forcibly terminated for cause that I felt were unfair, but my “feelings” did not play a part in my unemployment: I was still unemployed.
When an unfair termination occurs, the natural response is to examine and re-examine the circumstances that caused the unfair termination to see if you might have done things differently. Many times, what you did makes no difference whatsoever. If the termination was justified for cause, performance usually is the issue and the cause stands out.
Fear tends to invade our personality at this point. The natural question is: “what will I say to potential employers when they asked me what happened at ABC Company?” As a believer in Jesus, I would begin the process of looking for new employment with a prayer, invoking the direction and guidance of God to please help me in this process. He never once failed to answer my prayer with an opportunity.
Understanding the promise that God gives us in Romans 8:28 is crucial to the process:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
And:
I Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
I had and have confidence that God will take things that have happened to me that were not good and make something good come out of the situation and circumstances. The timing of how God works may not be exactly what I had in mind, but God’s timing is always perfect. There have been employment opportunities in my life that could have only come about if something previously bad had happened to me. This is why whenever something bad happens to me, I give thanks for those circumstances. On the surface, that makes no sense to be thankful that something bad has happened. But since I KNOW that God works everything out for my good, I have no problem complying with this command.
Finally, being terminated, whether justified or not, can cause deep stress and an upheaval in your life. You will want to take advantage of this promise:
Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. (Psalms 55:22)
The benefit is that God will sustain you in your time of need or even desperation. The condition is that you give Him all your cares.
