The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn over Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel?” (1 Sam. 16:1)
I ONCE HEARD my dad say that getting fired from a job can be one of the best things that happens to an adult. I’m sure it doesn’t feel like a great gift at the time though. We tend to wrap our identity into our work. Jobs matter, but at heart, we are human beings, not human doings. God’s love defines us. He loves us for who we are in Christ, not what we do! So perhaps being forcibly disentangled from our jobs once in a while can help us regain perspective. Some firings help not only the organization go forward but also the person move forward in life.
God “calls” people to himself. This is divine adoption into His family. But God also “calls” or hires people for specific jobs. Moses to lead the Israelites. David to be king. Jeremiah to be a prophet. God fires people from their jobs too. He fired Moses (Num. 20:12). He fired Saul (1 Sam. 15:26). I don’t think God was being harsh to a leader who made a mistake. I believe He made a change that helped the whole community move forward, and provided an opportunity to restore the leader to God. And though God fires some people from their job, He does not disown them from His family or His love.
Jot down a few things that God loves about you besides your works.
