Laid off? What do I do now?

Many of us are facing the prospect of, or are already feeling the cold reality of unemployment for the first time in our lives. The current pandemic has fundamentally changed our daily routines; it may have also launched our careers into the unknown. We have intentionally worked hard, been loyal, and positioned ourselves with our employers so as to minimize our risks of facing this very circumstance. If or when the bad news of being laid off does come, what do we do next?

First, Do Not Panic. 

Scripture tells us over and over again to not be afraid, to not fear, to not worry. Jesus, Our Lord, and Our Savior says to us in Matthew 6:25-27 (ESV):

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” 

If we trust Jesus with our salvation, we can trust Him during these challenging times, including being laid off. The word anxious means experiencing worry, unease, or nervousness, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. How many of us are facing uncertain outcomes today? Jesus is speaking directly to millions of us, right here and right now.

We can trust Him. 

In addition to trusting Him, we can take additional positive, active steps to help alleviate our anxiety during this change. We may even feel like our lives are out of control. There will always be facets of life we cannot control. We need to focus on what can be controlled including our attitude and prayer. Being laid off can feel extremely personal even though the decision was completely impersonal. Taking these positive actions will help move us forward.

Pray and Ask Others to Pray. As followers of Christ, we should be praying for each other anyway. Now is a good time to connect with others, share our prayer requests, and lift them up to God.

Love On and Spend Quality Time with Our Families. Play a game, read out loud to each other, enjoy our time with them, have fun. If the family is far away, video calls are a terrific way to reconnect during isolation.

Serve Others. How many people do we have in our address books we have not reached out to in months or even years? How many people do we know who are living in isolation now and have been for years due to illness or age? Now is a good time to make some calls and see what they need and to pray with them. 

Read and Study Scripture. Take this time to grow closer to God not only through prayer but also through the reading and the study of His Word. Besides attending church, Sunday School, or small groups online, there are great resources available to help us delve deeper and gain a new understanding of His Word online. 

Have a Grateful Heart. Find ways to be grateful every day, make a gratitude list, and revisit it as often as needed. 

Take Care of Yourself. Eat as healthy as we can, exercise each day, read a book, work on a skill, learn a language. There is a ton of free high-quality content online to help us build new skills or sharpen old ones.

For our Job Searches. Look at this layoff as an opportunity. Identify job roles we have always wanted. Target companies or nonprofits we want to work for and begin networking with people there. Ask for their referral. Identify and focus on the skills and the work we truly enjoy doing. Update our resumes, emphasize our skills and list out measurable results. Have a positive story to tell. Ask God what He wants us to do.

And finally, Ask for Help. Millions of people are in the same boat. There will be people who will not help us, they may even ignore us, it’s fine. Move on and continue to seek the help needed. There are plenty of people, churches, and organizations in our communities who will help. They just need to be asked.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and let us look after one another (from a safe distance for now)!