When Your Circumstances Go South

Let me tell you about my friend, Curtis, and what he did when his job went south.

Curtis’s job didn’t literally go south, but it did come to an end. Through no fault of his own, his position was deleted. Curtis did good work, and no one doubted that. It was just an unfortunate situation.

Other positions were also deleted. These employees were all told, “Your position officially ends in one month. You will receive a severance package, and even though you’ll still be paid through the end of the month, no one will fault you if you choose not to come back after today.”

Those would be hard words for any of us to hear, and most people chose to leave right then. Some left with bitterness, and others didn’t come back because they felt like lame ducks. Others felt awkward being around those who survived the cuts. The office walls would be an eight-hour constant reminder that they don’t belong anymore. No one blamed them for not coming back to the office.

But not Curtis. Curtis was back the next day and worked a full day. Over his remaining month, he slowly cleaned out his office, but what he focused on was the work he had always been doing. He didn’t make his last month about himself; he made it about the work.

You see, Curtis worked for a ministry. The work Curtis did was valuable kingdom work, and it was unfortunate that budget cuts impacted Curtis the way it did. He knew the work was important, so he continued to serve. Up to the last day. Up to the last hour.

In the Old Testament, David was anointed to be king before he was publicly known. But once he gained notice with the whole Goliath incident, it was clear God’s hand was on David. It became increasingly clear that King Saul was on the way out and David would be king. So what did David do?

He served King Saul. David never made it about himself—even though it seemed everyone else did! David could’ve led a coup, usurped the authority of Saul, and it’s likely the people would’ve gladly followed. Instead, the future king continued as a servant to the king. No pride. Just service.

Unlike Curits, David didn’t lose his job. He just wasn’t given the job that was rightfully his—at least not yet. Like Curtis, David did the work that was before him. For Curtis, it was the work that mattered. Not his circumstances. For David, it was his service in the kingdom of Israel that mattered. Not his circumstances.

Let the same be said for us. I don’t want us to see ourselves as mere cogs in the mighty machinery of God’s kingdom. After all, we matter to God. Individually, each one of us is important, loved, and valued in God’s eyes. But too often we want that importance to be seen and valued by others right here and right now. God doesn’t operate that way. David knew that. And I’m convinced my friend Curtis knew that.

Do God’s work regardless of who notices. Serve God no matter the circumstances you find yourself in. You matter—and the work you do in Jesus’s name matters.

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58).

And now for the rest of the story. A few months after Curtis’s dismissal, a mutual friend ran into Curtis. Curtis expressed to him a confidence in God. He wasn’t worried; he just trusted God. Less than a year later, the ministry that deleted Curtis’s position called and offered him a similar position. Curtis went right back to the ministry he valued. He served faithfully until the day of his retirement. And through it all, it was never about Curtis. It was all about the ministry and the kingdom of God.

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This post supports the study “Jonathan” in Bible Studies for Life and YOU.