Active employment
Searching for employment can be daunting—especially when one is seeking a job suited to one’s own talents and needs. But Christian Science allows us to develop a more spiritual concept of employment, and as we look to God, divine Mind, we discover solutions that lead us out of inharmony, enable us to utilize our skills, and bless all involved.
I relocated to Boston in late 2005 with the hope of finding work as a music teacher and professor. Armed with a résumé that outlined a productive academic career, I expected to achieve my goals. I applied for many jobs for which I was highly qualified, and also explored temporary work such as arts telemarketing and substitute teaching. But much of the time I received no return mail, and those interviews to which I was invited emphasized competition.
At first I hadn’t considered much about God’s presence with regard to my employment. But I started to recognize that humility and the willingness to trust His guidance were important antidotes to the fear I was feeling about the situation. I thought of the words of Jesus: “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? … But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:25, 33 ).
These passages come from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, from which also comes the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer teaches much about God’s active goodness, power, and omnipresence. It concludes: “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever” (Matthew 6:13 ). As I thought about that line, I saw that God’s care not only heals fear, but also generates action on constructive ideas. Mary Baker Eddy tells us that “God expresses in man the infinite idea forever developing itself, broadening and rising higher and higher from a boundless basis” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 258 ).
Guided by my prayers, I began to feel certain that it is in generous giving that we are able to receive. Wanting to broaden my vision, and inspired by the work of a close friend in another state, I began using my piano skills to entertain at retirement centers, developing programs that included a repertoire of popular songs. The work multiplied considerably and to date, I have performed some 200 concerts. Many programs now incorporate the musical gifts of a professional clarinetist, too.
God's care not only heals fear, but also generates action on constructive ideas.
In addition, an earlier experience as a university teaching assistant resulted in a teaching opportunity at a community college. Initially hired to teach only one class, I went on to develop two imaginative online music appreciation courses. To address a wider scope of musical performance and education, I also founded a nonprofit organization that brings adult musicians together to perform imaginative classical music concerts that I produce and conduct. None of these opportunities could have happened without God’s guidance. Each was a powerful reminder that “the good you do and embody gives you the only power obtainable” (Science and Health, p. 192 ).
Work search is always most effective when praying for direction from God and acknowledging God’s constant care. This equates to giving all the glory to God, knowing that we will be rewarded. In the words of the Apostle Paul, “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour” (I Corinthians 3:8 ). Experiences become empowered, while fear and disappointment are destroyed.
Moreover, the practice of Christian Science can demonstrate that competition and a troubled economy are not evil forces that erode one’s efforts and hopes or invalidate the quest for imaginative opportunity. It’s necessary to exercise qualities such as intelligence, efficiency, and tenacity—but in doing so, we are always supported by the fact that these qualities are expressions of the Divine. We’re made in God’s image, and it’s natural for each of us to reflect patience, appreciation, trust, faith, and gratitude.
