Once I heard a preacher refer to satan as an unemployed cherub.

The statement I believe was intended as a put down.

At first blanch I get the concept, only last night though God brought a point to my attention regarding this statement that challenged me.

“The devil used to be called Lucifer ‘Lucifer‘ means ‘light bearer’ or ‘light bringer’ this was his name as an angel, he was literally the praise and worship leader/choir director of heaven and scripture tells us he was very beautiful. But when his heart sought to take Gods place he was cast out of heaven – sacked – fired, unemployed.

What’s significant though and this is the rub, unlike many of us his de-commissioning from the most highly esteemed employer and corporation in all of heaven and earth didn’t stop him working for himself.

In Sir Alan Sugar’s book ‘What you see is what you get’ he has a chapter titled “Whose going to pay you on Friday?” a question posed to him by his un-enterprising father. Sir Sugar explains in the chapter that this statement summed up his father’s mentality a mentality we may add which runs cross grain with the entrepreneurial mindset that has evidently characterised Sir Alan’s career.

Occupy till He comes!!

Unemployment can hit us like a ton of bricks, and if you’re facing that right now I empathise with your experience and the myriad emotions and conflicts you may be experiencing. The question I have though is; ‘are you occupying?’

Jesus told a parable of ‘a certain noble man’ paralleling Himself and His servants; The noble man in the parable commended His servants ‘Occupy till I come’ this exhortation is used as an instruction to us as believers regarding how we ought conduct our affairs while we await Christ’s return.

Clearly satan is doing just that! Being unemployed can be a supernatural opportunity to reflect and assess your individual life purpose, call and gifting; maybe Gods got more for you; if you employ yourself you can never be unemployed.

The devil finds work for idle hands

The thief (the devil) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10 (NKJV)

When you allow the depression of your unemployment to consume you, and you begin to look at your situation as one of having failed you create fertile ground in your heart and mind for the devil to assault your life and plant seeds of habits, mindsets, attitudes and responses that can prove destructive.

It’s so much more productive therefore to begin where you are, start or complete the project that work was always preventing you from accomplishing.

Think outside the box, do a skill assessment or personality test to review your internal drives.

You may be on the verge of a new adventure in the journey that is your life.

Don’t allow despondency and inadequacy to rob you of this opportunity, time itself is a precious commodity, and if used wisely when you have more of it than money, time can become the catalyst to the money you need as well as a lifestyle aligned and congruent with your highest potentials if you’ll seize the opportunity your current unemployment has presented to you.