Trying not to head for the hills and wait on Jesus

[jds6958]

I keep working hard b/c it provides a good witness. I tell others that I work hard b/c Jesus commanded me to and it is the right thing to do. So from that point, it is productive as it may plant some seeds, even if ultimately the productivity outputs of my work may be futile b/c the trib may begin very soon. I guess that is the way I look at it...and still, the key word there is may...

I hope that helps...it is still possible to watch things unfold, contribute to end times awareness, and be productive in a FT job, and other things...it just takes a conscience approach...but I know what you speak of, and sometimes it is hard, especially after a bad day at work...

[sherrimae]

Yes Seekingtruth, I am wondering about some of the same things. We are moving into a new house in another city next week. We have been working on this for about 6 months, and I have often wondered if we would make it to moving day or not. I had to leave a job I really liked that had great hours and benefits. I had to take the best job that I could find because we just bought a new house, and I will have a lot less time to spend with my children. I will continue searching for a better job, but sometimes I wonder what is the point if we will be going home soon. We are doing pretty good at saving for retirement, but I am thinking that we might not be here that long, especially if this Iran situation escalates. I wish I knew for sure because then we could give the money to the mission field to reach others for the Lord before it's too late.

[Texas Girl]

I dont see why the coming rapture or the coming of Jesus Christ should affect your current work at all? Exactly what is the correlation? Jesus Christ didn't tell you to stop working and play and wait for his coming. He wanted you to be working and watching. That is why it is said that 2 men would be working in the field. One will be taken the other left.

Also, we do not know what God has in plan for us in heaven but it will be spectacular and miraculous for sure. But it doesn't say anywhere that it doesn't involve work? In fact to be great in heaven, Jesus Christ said you have to be servant of all. Being a servant means you are working for others.

So WORK is still a very valid activity in heaven. Except instead of dreading it sometimes here or hating it, we will glady do it there because it will bring us joy to do so.

I don't want to quit working I just want to quit WORK! I want to work on the things that matter most. My house is currently on the market and when it sells my sweet husband and I will pay off all our debts, probably rent, and I will stay home and work as a WIFE and MOMMY!!!!!! That's how I want to go out! Working for what matters, my family! I want to have time (and energy!) for my church. I want to have time to teach my niece and nephew about Jesus. Study more. Work on the things that matter.

[Southern Lady]

Sorry, I misunderstood also. But then I decided to start a business to reach out for Christ, and offer the same opportunity to others.
It is hard work, but at least I feel like it has meaning.

[ChristianGal]

I, too, feel completely disinterested in my work. My only thoughts these days are how can I reach the unsaved! Because while I don't care that much about my work, I feel an urgent calling to do all I can to witness. It scares me to think that so many will be left behind and I believe we have little time left!

My husband and I both work for international companies. Last year we started a small business which is based on his hobby of wine making. When my husband decided to start up this business (which is distributing fresh grapes and grape juice to home wine makers) my first thought was how can we use this business to witness since we are the only employees in this business which gives us the ability to do whatever we want. This small business venture is seasonal (only in Spring with the juice from South America and in Fall when we get fresh grapes and juice from California) so we are able to run this business and continue in our corporate jobs.

This past weekend my husband (who is a baby Christian) mentioned to me that he was thinking about how he can "witness" through this business venture. I can't tell you how my heart soared! My husband was raised Catholic and only recently has come to know Jesus as his savior (Praise God). It is so heartwarming to me to see how he now thinks about how he can serve the Lord and share the good news.

In addition, know that we should try to think of ways to witness to the people we work with, but in my case this is especially difficult. I was in Germany on business earlier this year and during dinner our last night in Berlin one of my colleagues from Argentina says to me out of the blue "did you know that the Muslims worship the same God? The God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob?" Well, I'm sure you guys can imagine what my response was about to be...and my boss knew as well since those who work closely with me know that I am a Christian. And my boss shoots me a look that says basically...don't go there. But...I ignore the look my boss gave me and I said "well I know that's what many people think, but that is just not true. Muslims believe that Jesus is just a prophet and Christians KNOW that Jesus is God". I also mention that I've read some of the koran and there are significant differences between the koran and the Holy Bible. Right about that time my boss interjects and says that he thinks discussions about religious beliefs and politics are best left out of business discussions which effectively ended the conversation. Later, when alone with my boss, he said that he understands and even agrees with my beliefs, but that he would appreciate it if I didn't bring them into our business dealings. I pointed out that I didn't bring the subject up and he acknowledged that, but nonetheless he let me know quite clearly that this subject is off limits. So...I know I have to be careful in my business dealings...not because I'm afraid to witness, for those who know me know this is not true, but more because I believe that God helps us to witness when He wants us to and because it would do no good for me to lose my job at a time when in my state (Michigan) jobs are so hard to find. So...I continue to witness to my colleagues when I feel the Spirit move me that way and when opportunity provides itself, but I'm careful when around my boss.

[Glory in print]

Anyone having a hard time working on projects that may be meaningless shoudl teh trib start in the next year? I am not date stetting just its my person feeling that this is coming soon along with the rapture.

I am trying to build a business and I am finding that harder to do than working for a company etc. as one of teh products I sell is will have little use taht I can see in the years ahead...its a luxury travel product....Im having a hard time discerning if I should spend my time on this or fins something else to do.....if I and teh rest of teh world were to be going on as we always had Id be so jazzed about it but now Im not.

I know we arent supposed to quit our work and head for teh hills to wait for Jesus we have to keep going but Im finding this harder and harder to do. I dont get paid unless I sell...its all on me...

Anyone else having that challenge ...id especially like to hear from someone that runs their own business too and if so what do you suggest?????

I have had the same problem focusing on long term goals in the past, but now I think we should all do our work like we are going to live forever, and we should watch, and pray like were going to leave tommorrow!

[Rondaben]

Thanks to the OP for this topic. It is a major focus of what my family and I are doing right now.

We have known for 2-3 years now that hard economic times were coming. We knew that we would eventually leave this life, this house, this area and go to another area that God has been having us prepare. We were waiting for the "go" command to make all of that happen. We have gotten that.

We know that realistically we could not maintain our current debt load for the house, student loans, cars, etc. The cost of food and electricity/gas now consume a third of my takehome. We are squeezed past the breaking point. We feel that this is God's indication to us that the time to move is here.

We are packing our things. We have no home to move to, I have no job to go to. We are trusting him completely that if this is his direction he will provide what we need. It is hard to let everything go and trust him completely. It is easy to do when it is just my wife and I but we have 5 year old twins to worry about as well. I have to continually repress my need to "be the man" and take matters in my own hands to try to work them out. I'm too weak to do this without Jesus' making it happen.

We feel that God is directing us to simplify and to prepare. Like all of you, I have faith that one day Jesus will return to get us. I do, however, beseech you to prepare as God would direct you to. It will very likely get much worse before his return.

We feel that God is preparing us to provide for people whom he will send to us during these times. We feel that we will be used to provide a warm bowl of food, a place to sleep, and the Gospel of our Risen Lord in the troubled times to come. We are done with the suburban life. The cars, the shopping. I am done with working just to stay in place when I can simplify, follow the Lords' leading and prosper for his sake. We don't regret the decisions that we have made because God has led us to this point safely. He has given me a wonderful family---a perfect helpmeet for a wife and two health, intelligent children that Love their Lord and whose salvation has been secured. Our departure ticket is validated. We still have work to do here.

Like many of you may feel it is becoming more difficult to hear the whisper of our Lord over the roar of the world thrashing about in its labor. Those of you who feel the tugging to leave, prayerfully ask for clarity and peace and direction in the decision. Those of you who are being called to stay and serve where you are, pray for protection and guidance. We all need to turn away from the cares of the world and focus on our King and how he will use us in this time of harvest. The wheat is coming rapidly to fullness and the Lord is preparing his workers. Sharpen your tools. Prepare for the job that is coming however Jesus directs you.

Enough rambling. God bless each of you. I pray that he will guide your decisions and give you peace.

[PeterSung]

I don't want to quit working I just want to quit WORK! I want to work on the things that matter most. My house is currently on the market and when it sells my sweet husband and I will pay off all our debts, probably rent, and I will stay home and work as a WIFE and MOMMY!!!!!! That's how I want to go out! Working for what matters, my family! I want to have time (and energy!) for my church. I want to have time to teach my niece and nephew about Jesus. Study more. Work on the things that matter.

Texas Girl,

I know what you mean. But everyone feels that over a course of time. You just get bored of what your doing and want to do something different. Its just natural when working for others.

It seems the greatest satisfaction comes when you work for yourself (self-employment) because then you can set your own hours and do you own thing.

Its great that you want to work for the Lord. I am sure that if your pray to Him and ask that He help you into a position where you can work for Him, He will gladly give you that opportunity over time (it may not be immediate). But God always answers prayer especially if your intention and will are in line with His.

But you have to also realize that there are lots of opportunities to do the Lord's work right there where your current job is. Talking to people about God and helping others who need help will eventually lead them to ask you about God or what makes you so helpful and different than others.

Just witnessing to 1 person could change the life of thousands upon thousands of people. After all Jesus Christ traveled over word of mouth, not mass media.

But if you or anyone is feeling bored and unproductive, hey everyone goes through that. There are lots of things you CAN do and SHOULD do quit and find a job that motivates you. Move to a different geographic location that offers more job opportunities if the current one does not afford you one.

God Bless.

[Caver]

Yes, I'm a business owner and
Yes, I have felt for some time that it was pointless because the end was coming on us so quickly....but

It seemed my instructions were to keep going and try and make a difference and...its a number of years down the road now and we're still here. Through our business we have been able to plant more than a few seeds. We have been able to be salt and light to more than a few.

We are making a difference...small as it is...it is a contribution.

Keep on, don't try and quit and hide. We don't know the time, only He does. We can know its different than every before but not just how far down the road He intends to go before saying its there. We got a job to do, and I don't think its to quit, shake in fear, or run and hide our head in the sand.

[WVBORN56]

Yes, I'm a business owner and
Yes, I have felt for some time that it was pointless because the end was coming on us so quickly....but

It seemed my instructions were to keep going and try and make a difference and...its a number of years down the road now and we're still here. Through our business we have been able to plant more than a few seeds. We have been able to be salt and light to more than a few.

We are making a difference...small as it is...it is a contribution.

Keep on, don't try and quit and hide. We don't know the time, only He does. We can know its different than every before but not just how far down the road He intends to go before saying its there. We got a job to do, and I don't think its to quit, shake in fear, or run and hide our head in the sand.

Good thoughts Caver...I too run a business with 325 service employees and should be working right now. I am instead just like seekingthetruth, wraped up on this board in reading the signs and somewhat less than motivated to work on something that is dying and temporal. But we still have the opportunity to be salt and light and a witness for the Lord but I do not fell the need to sale, sale, sale nearly as intently as I used too.

[ImHis]

I feel like a lot of what I do now has no meaning also. For one getting my master's degree seems like a total waste of time. I cannot be absolutely sure of that though so I keep on trudging on.

this is me too! supposed to earn my BA by 2010. now i feel like WHY BOTHER?

[Xenosjeff]

I understand peoples motivation to want to run to the Lord and get ready to go. I also know that we are to work if we want to eat, live indoors and take care of our family.
Please don't get taken out of the fight by your desire to be with the Lord. If anything we should be working harder in order to finish strong and honest. It would be foolish to let our desire to be with the Lord blind us to our real and present requirements of life. Sure, I would love to be able to let go of the world and just spend my time looking up, waiting on the Lord but that isn't my place or mission. I am going to work at what I do right up to the point where my tools hit the floor because my hand is in heaven.

Are there those who can let go of the world all together and not suffer their own neglect needlessly? Will you be carried just by your faith when you have stopped working? I am sure there are people called by God to serve in a way that would require full time devotion to looking up and it is our duty to our churches and Bible believing pastors and elders to support those who are in the fight full time. However, many have quit the world and gone into the cave dwelling business thinking that the time is short only to be forced back into the world. Lets remember that there will be people working in the field where one will be taken and one is not.

Is the time short? Yes. Is the mission of Christians to spread the Gospel? Yes. Can we throw away the talents and tasks we have been given? No.

Looking for the return of the Lord is a good thing and I am not saying that the feeling of "waistin my time" is ill founded. I am saying that we still need to get hot on doing our daily work. Prioritizing your life and future projects to reflect your hope in the Lord is what we should always be doing.

I will be decending from my soapbox now.

Peace

Jeff

[DaisyLane]

Just a word of warning - I successfully discipled my family into understanding the times we're in...too well, perhaps.

My view is that the rapture will happen in the very near future. My 17 year old son had been a brilliant student in elementary and middle school, however, I convinced him of my rapture understanding. Suddenly, his grades plummeted. He lost all interest in doing his school work. Basically, his attitude is...why bother. I've been working for months to correct his understanding, but to no avail.

[His Bride]

No one knows exactly how long we have here on earth, either rapture or death could occur now or 50 years from now. We cannot go on living our lives with that attitude because that would be sin, IMO. To resent the life that God gave us now, with our many blessings, would be a slap in the face to Him. If I had been given over to that mentality 20 years ago after my oldest son died I would never have had two more children, truly a gift from my Lord. Yes, the world is depraved, our country is sinful, and people are a mess. But do we walk by faith or by sight? Do we feel sorry for ourselves or do we count our blessings? Has the Lord forsaken us? His Word tells us that He will never leave or forsake us. Shame on us for wanting out of here for whatever reasons. This is an exciting time to live. We are witnessing God at work. Nothing that happens should surprise us. He has given us advance notice of what to look for. But He also tells us to look up, with excitement, for our redemption draws near. Our King is coming. Don't let Him find us whining when He does!

[WVBORN56]

I'm not wanting to give up and sit by and do nothing for the Lord...just the opposite. What I am losing interest in is my business and working hard on something that seems so temporal. Instead of working like crazy for"myself" I have more of a desire to purify my life, serve the Lord and witness. I don't think my loss of desire for my business is sin...anything but...

[ImHis]

I'm not wanting to give up and sit by and do nothing for the Lord...just the opposite. What I am losing interest in is my business and working hard on something that seems so temporal. Instead of working like crazy for"myself" I have more of a desire to purify my life, serve the Lord and witness. I don't think my loss of desire for my business is sin...anything but...

that's my stance also! i'm questioning (why bother) to go into student loan debt, spend time away from my toddler & family to get a degree when we could be raptured at any moment...? i can't get back the time that i spend on school work.

[PeaceOfChrist]

Seekingtruth1,
YES, YES, YES...it is INCREDIBLY difficult for me to care about anything at work. I work in the transportation industry, and I'll be honest...I just don't care about things the way I used to. I often wonder why I spend so much of my time in a job that exists solely to make my organization more money.

My co-workers and bosses are so committed to increasing profits. Sometimes I look at them and wonder where they get their incredible motivation, because I just don't have it, and I can't seem to find it. To be honest, I don't even want their motivation.

Over the past few months, I have felt as though the Lord is trying to lead me in a different direction. I think He wants me to find a better way to spend my time and talents. My job is to figure out where He wants me to go, and I'm not having an easy time. Hopefully soon I'll be doing His will. Maybe that means I'll be working for Him in Heaven, doing what I was created to do directly for Him.

I do praise Him, though, for providing me a job in the first place.

Hang in there Seekingtruth1; won't be much longer.

YSIC,

[Caver]

A question just begging for an answer here....well, at least to me.

Just how much of an example of walking in the light, being salt and light, can you be at work or school by doing your job with a Christ like attitude and walking in the Spirit? Any chance someone might notice and want to talk to you about it?

How much are you able to give back to the Lord's work by working and earning a living? Any good being done with that?

Everything we say and do sends a message. What's my message that I'm sending out?

Have you prayed for guidance on this and given Him time to answer?

I would search my soul and consult in prayer before making a huge decision like this.

[Thomas]

seekingtruth1Re: Anyone having a hard time working on projects that may be meaningless shoudl teh trib start in the next year? I am not date stetting just its my person feeling that this is coming soon along with the rapture.

I am trying to build a business and I am finding that harder to do than working for a company etc. as one of teh products I sell is will have little use taht I can see in the years ahead...its a luxury travel product....Im having a hard time discerning if I should spend my time on this or fins something else to do.....if I and teh rest of teh world were to be going on as we always had Id be so jazzed about it but now Im not.

I know we arent supposed to quit our work and head for teh hills to wait for Jesus we have to keep going but Im finding this harder and harder to do. I dont get paid unless I sell...its all on me...

Anyone else having that challenge ...id especially like to hear from someone that runs their own business too and if so what do you suggest?????

I just read your post and here is my answer. I am a home renovator self employ I use to have those feeling and here is what I do now.
First part of my daily prayer is “Father laid some soul upon my heart, love that soul through me let me nobly do my part to win that soul for you.” And “Father lead me to the one whom need my help the most to find you.”
With the 2 point, I don’t mind at all to keep on going for God.
But I am still ready to go at any time.

Tom

[His Bride]

seekingtruth1Re: Anyone having a hard time working on projects that may be meaningless shoudl teh trib start in the next year? I am not date stetting just its my person feeling that this is coming soon along with the rapture.

I am trying to build a business and I am finding that harder to do than working for a company etc. as one of teh products I sell is will have little use taht I can see in the years ahead...its a luxury travel product....Im having a hard time discerning if I should spend my time on this or fins something else to do.....if I and teh rest of teh world were to be going on as we always had Id be so jazzed about it but now Im not.

I know we arent supposed to quit our work and head for teh hills to wait for Jesus we have to keep going but Im finding this harder and harder to do. I dont get paid unless I sell...its all on me...

Anyone else having that challenge ...id especially like to hear from someone that runs their own business too and if so what do you suggest?????

I just read your post and here is my answer. I am a home renovator self employ I use to have those feeling and here is what I do now.
First part of my daily prayer is “Father laid some soul upon my heart, love that soul through me let me nobly do my part to win that soul for you.” And “Father lead me to the one whom need my help the most to find you.”
With the 2 point, I don’t mind at all to keep on going for God.
But I am still ready to go at any time.

Tom

I love your prayer. What an awesome way to be available, however long we have left here. I will try to remember it for myself every day!!!