Finding God’s Purpose in Waiting

There are few things quite as discouraging as searching for a job and hearing “no” again and again.

You spend time polishing your CV, filling in applications, preparing for interviews and praying that this might finally be the opportunity you have been waiting for. Then the email arrives: “Unfortunately, on this occasion…”

After a while, it can become more than frustrating. You may begin to wonder, “God, where are You in all of this?”

When every door seems to remain firmly shut, it is easy to assume that God has forgotten us. But perhaps the waiting season is not quite as empty as it appears. In this blog, we will explore some of the ways God is guiding us, when we feel like we are stuck waiting for the next step.

Faithfulness while we wait

One of the less familiar passages that speaks beautifully into this situation is found in Ecclesiastes 11. We are encouraged to keep moving forward even when we cannot predict the outcome:

Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon…

Ecclesiastes 11:6

The picture is of someone planting without knowing exactly which seeds will produce a harvest - this sounds remarkably like job hunting.

You might send ten applications and hear nothing. You might contact someone about an opportunity that goes nowhere. You might attend an interview that you thought went brilliantly, only to discover that another candidate was chosen.

But that does not mean your efforts are pointless.

Instead, we are called to be faithful with what is in front of us. We can update our CV, learn a new skill, contact employers, ask friends for introductions, prepare carefully for interviews and continue looking. We cannot control which opportunity will eventually bear fruit, but we can control whether we keep sowing.

A closed door isn't necessarily a dead end

Sometimes we interpret rejection as a verdict on our worth. "I'm not good enough", "I'm not talented enough", and "Maybe I'll never find anything" are thoughts that may come to mind.

However, you must remember that an employer's decision cannot determine your value. Your worth was never dependent upon having the right job, salary or job title. This is where we need to distinguish between God's direction and our disappointment.

A closed door may simply mean that particular opportunity was not right. It doesn't necessarily mean that you did anything wrong, but more that you are meant for a different path.

There is an important balance here: pray as though God is in control, and work knowing your actions matter.

Don't waste any time waiting

Waiting can feel like wasted time.

If you're unemployed or searching for something new, you may feel that life is on pause while everyone else is moving forward. Friends are getting promotions. Former colleagues are changing jobs. People around you seem to be progressing while you're still checking job boards.

But God is not limited to working through the moment when you finally receive the offer. Take the time to think - what could He be developing for you now?

Perhaps patience. Or resilience. Or humility. Perhaps a new skill or a new relationship. Maybe an opportunity to serve someone who needs your time. Your current season may not look productive from the outside, but that doesn't mean God is doing nothing.

We can refer to another helpful reminder in 1 Corinthians 3:7:

It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow.

1 Corinthians 3:7

Our responsibility is to plant. God's responsibility is to bring the growth. That doesn't mean we become passive, but it means we don't carry the burden of believing that everything depends entirely on us.

Ask God to recognise your work

For anyone searching for meaningful employment, prayer can be an important part of the journey. It can be tempting to focus entirely on applications, interviews and opportunities, but we can also bring the whole process before God and ask Him to guide our steps.

A job search is a wonderful opportunity to pray for wisdom and direction. Most importantly, ask God for the patience to trust Him when you don't understand why a particular door hasn't opened.

Sometimes faith isn't about knowing what God is going to do next. Sometimes faith is simply continuing to trust Him when you don't know. We may not be able to see the bigger picture, but we can be confident that God sees it - and that He can lead us even when the way ahead isn't clear.

Keep trying

If you're currently searching for work, don't lose heart. Keep praying. Keep applying. Keep improving your CV. Keep looking for opportunities to serve. Keep asking God for wisdom.

Remember, you are more than your employment status. Your identity is not “unemployed”, “between jobs” or “looking for work”. You are God's beloved creation, and your value does not rise and fall according to the responses you receive from employers.

Perhaps today you are still standing in front of a closed door. That's okay. You don't need to know which door God will eventually open. Your task is simply to remain faithful with the opportunities in front of you today. Plant the seed and keep going.