How Can I Glorify God When I Have No Work?

One big thing missing in this list is “actively look for work.” I’ve been out of work a few times, and the mantra the work search consultants give you is that your job is to look for work. Yes, 40 hours per week or even more, if that’s what it takes.

Now sometimes, you may be in a place where your trade limits you to a few major employers, and you’ll need to simply wait and do other things while you do, but in other cases—I’m an engineer by trade working in project management—it’s generally far more productive to search for companies where your skills might be needed, go to professional meetings where people may know of the jobs out there that aren’t on the public listings and ask for help, do volunteer work where you can meet representatives of prospective employers, and more.

It ought to be noted as well that even if one is in a trade where there are not that many employers, “boredom” really ought not be part of unemployment, as don’t we all have unfinished projects at home, kids who need encouragement and help with their studies, friends who own properties who could use a hand maintaining them, churches that could use help with maintenance/mowing/outreach/whatever, family members who need encouragement, etc..? In the same way, if you’ve got a lot of extra time, maybe pick up a new skill? I remember picking up my CQE (certified quality engineer) certification while I was out of work one time, for example.

I might even suggest that if someone is truly getting bored and sluggish, one might do well to get some counseling, because that can be a sign of depression or related illnesses. So if you’re out there and out of work, see who out there is willing to work with you to get you some help—you’d be amazed who is willing to come alongside, in my experience.