During the Great Depression 25% of the labor force was without work. People were standing in long lines for bread or soup, and it was not until the beginning of WWII that the unemployment rate fell below 10%. Today, most economists would not expect the U.S. to relive this scenario due to the expanded roles of the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department. In addition, unemployment insurance is available to individuals without work allowing them time to secure new employment while receiving regular paychecks.

 Even with increased government intervention and regulation of our economy, more people are unemployed now than have been since 1994. Nationwide, the ranks of the unemployed have increased to over 10 million or 6.5% of the labor force, while Michigan’s unemployment remains the country’s worst at 8.7 %.

Unemployment is a devastating thing both personally and for the economy as a whole. Many people feel humiliated when they are not being able to provide for their families. Losing your job is personal, emotional, and oftentimes painful. Unemployment also means society as a whole suffers by reducing its capacity. That is, if people are not working they will not receive wages and subsequently will not be able to demand goods and services from others leading to slower economic growth.

I believe God wants people to work if they have the capacity to work and the ability to find it. Therefore, if God expects us to work (II Thessalonians 3:10), won’t He make a way? And if that is the case, aren’t we as Christians obligated to provide employment opportunities for others? In Matthew 20:1-7 did the landowner really need the help of the last group of day laborers, or was he fulfilling his responsibility as a godly businessperson to hire people who wanted to put in a good day’s work for fair pay?

This is contrary to today’s way of doing business where firms look for ways to downsize, merge, and acquire, not with the goal of providing jobs, but with the objective of increasing shareholders’ wealth. This is quite unlike the businessperson in Matthew’s gospel who hired the day laborers standing beside the road who were “all day long doing nothing”. Did God expect them to work? Is it emotionally healthy to work? Is it productive for society? Does God expect those who own and manage businesses to change their focus from excess profit to people? I think so.

Lastly, if you end up jobless, be sure your heart is right with God so that you can say with confidence, as did the hymnist who himself had experienced financial ruin, pain, and isolation, “all is well with my soul”.