Daily Devotions

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. Genesis 3:1-7

This text is one of many in the Bible where my mind has been etched with an indelible memory that kicks in every time I read it. I simply can’t read the first verse without seeing the softly hissing Kaa curled up in the tree above Mowgli’s head from Disney’s “The Jungle Book.” Kaa hissing…and then gently hypnotizing Mowgli to sleep before wrapping him up for dinner.

The serpent was more “crafty” than any other creature and in his craftiness he appeals not to what the woman HAS but to what the woman does NOT have. He first challenges her trust in God’s Word and then in God’s wisdom. Once their focus was shifted from the infinite variety of gifts available to them in the garden to the ONE THING they weren’t supposed to touch, they took and they ate. Bathed immediately in shame, they made loincloths and covered themselves up.

Throughout this week of devotions I’m remembering the conversation I had with a man this past Sunday. Three times now in his career he has been laid off through no fault of his own and has had to find a new job. I’m thinking of my friend who was laid off last February and is still looking for a job. And I’m remembering a member of Covenant who suddenly lost his job and struggled hard before finding the next one.

In each case, the loss of their jobs involved the sudden appearance of a little hissing voice in the back of their minds….”You’re a failure”….”You’ll never find another job.”…”God isn’t going to take care of you or your needs…”

How do you fight those voices?

First, resist the urge to isolate. The creation stories certainly value highly the gift of daily work and the abilities/calling we have to care for creation. But they are also about interconnectedness and relationships. An unemployed person might not have a job to go to in the morning but they still have 24 hours in each day. Use that time, first to heal, and then to make as many connections as possible. Call old friends and connections. Attend job fairs. Borrow a desk at someone’s office so you can get out of the house to make calls.

Don’t skip worship on Sunday! Maybe you feel guilty because you can’t put as much money in the offering plate. Get over that. Others are still working and they can cover for you. Bringing your body into God’s presence is always way more valuable to a congregation than the dollars you put into the plate. You need that community, you need to be in that room. God has not and will not forget you. You have nothing to be ashamed about. Fight that hissing voice!

And second, focus on what you have and what you can do rather than on what you have lost. You’ve lost a job but you haven’t lost your skills, abilities or experience. You can still learn – maybe now is the time to retool and find something new. Your new job is finding a job. Reframe rejection in your own mind – success is measured in trying your best and showing up. I heard yesterday about a company that had 10,000 applicants for 90 positions. 90 might have gotten a new job but 9,010 can still feel good about putting themselves out there. Maybe they will find a better job more in line with what they really want to do.

You’re not in this alone.

Let us pray: Gracious Lord, continue pouring hope into the lives of those who feel hopeless. Continue drawing people out of isolation into community. Continue birthing creativity into those who start new businesses or reach out to others with opportunities for meaningful daily work. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This entry was posted on October 14, 2009 at 12:59 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.