When I Thought I Might Lose My Job

“Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” — Psalm 37:5

Several years ago, I had to present an annual financial budget to the board of the organisation where I worked. In the final day before the meeting, I began comparing the figures with our previous budget and discovered that some substantial expenses had been missed.

The more closely I looked, the worse the position appeared. Costs that should have been included were not there, and the forecast profit fell sharply. It was my responsibility to oversee an accurate budget, and I now had to present something that seemed to display my own failure.

The board was understandably unhappy. The budget could not be accepted in its current form.

After the meeting, I felt disappointed, angry and sore. On the drive home, my thoughts were a blur. Could I lose my job? Could I be demoted? Could my mistake eventually affect someone else’s employment?

Prayer Before the Answer

At the dinner table that evening, my wife and I prayed for the organisation and for one another. She prayed with particular concern about my position.

Prayer did not immediately place a corrected spreadsheet in front of me. It did, however, put the problem back into its proper setting. I still had to return to work, admit what had happened and examine the figures carefully. But I did not have to carry the outcome as though everything rested upon me alone.

The next morning, I began looking for legitimate savings and adjustments. While changing the way one of the reports was presented, I noticed that two related figures did not agree. That discrepancy led me to discover that an expense had been counted twice.

Once that error was corrected, I reviewed the timing assumptions for several planned appointments. Gradually, the apparent shortfall was recovered. By the end of the process, the revised forecast was slightly better than our original target.

The burden I had carried home the previous evening lifted. What looked like a professional disaster had forced me to examine the work more carefully and exposed a different problem that otherwise might have remained hidden.

Trust Does Not Mean Concealment

Psalm 37 spoke directly to me through that experience:

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.” — Psalm 37:23–24

I had fallen short of my responsibility, and trusting God did not excuse the error. It would have been wrong to hide the problem, manipulate the figures or blame somebody else. Faith required honesty before it brought relief.

It would also be easy to tell this story as though prayer guaranteed a favourable financial result. That is not the lesson I want to draw. God does not promise that every workplace mistake will be reversed or that every feared consequence will disappear. He promises that we can commit our way to Him and trust Him while we take the next honest step.

On this occasion, God graciously directed my attention to what needed correction. He also used the experience to expose how quickly fear can convince me that one failure must determine the whole outcome.

What I Remember

When a mistake appears larger than my ability to repair it, I remember that evening at the dinner table. I remember the anxious drive home, my wife’s prayer and the figures that looked entirely different the next day.

Most of all, I remember that I was not upheld by my competence. I was upheld by the Lord while being made to confront the limits of that competence.

The answer was not to pretend I had not fallen. It was to be honest about the fall, commit the way ahead to God and return to the work in front of me.

Prayer: Lord, when my mistakes frighten me, keep me from concealment, blame and despair. Give me humility to admit where I have failed, wisdom to take the next honest step and faith to entrust the outcome to You. Thank You that when I fall, I am not beyond the reach of Your hand. Amen.