The Great Recession and the Call of God
Hopeful. Energized. Ready to take on the world.
These were the thoughts of a young man who had achieved a great accomplishment. On a sun-shiny day in May 2008, he scaled the steps of a stage on a university football field to accept his recognition of completing his undergraduate work. All the hours of study in his field, the papers (the papers!), and the extracurriculars had all been met. It was time for celebration.
But celebration eventually had to yield to the next challenge: finding a job and putting his degree to work. Enthusiasm and energy began to wane as the challenge of finding a job would be further complicated by what had been looming over the economy since the end of 2007.
Known as “The Great Recession”, this period of time affected housing (foreclosures and net worth), unemployment, and the stock market. It left many uncertain about their futures and how they would find the ability to provide a roof over their heads. (Check out the movie “The Big Short” for a further look into the housing challenge) The pressure of staying afloat financially not only impacted wallets; it impacted the mental health of many individuals who felt hopeless to overcome their situations. This was no lighthearted moment in time.
When I walked on that stage in 2008, I felt confident that I could land a job anywhere I wanted to apply. I had a degree in Business Administration! My rationale was, “Everything uses business. Therefore, I can work in the health market, the banking industry, retail, or even on a university.” But as I soon found out, getting any job would be a blessing and a source of provision.
I applied for many different companies. I found that most weren’t hiring or they didn’t necessarily want to take someone fresh out of college onboard. Reluctantly, I remained with my local grocery store and was left wondering if I’d made a mistake by majoring in business.
With all this hope I had put into obtaining this degree that I had perceived to be a master key into the workforce, the one door that I did not expect to open began to creak open.
While in college, I stayed connected with my home church. I helped form and create a new ministry of young adults to gather and fellowship. And it was from that gathering that I felt that there might be something more. Over the course of weeks that led into months, I entered a season of devotion and prayer and discovered (with the help of pastors and ministers) this prompting was discerned to be a call of God.
This call first began to woo me and shape me. I was hungry for the Lord to work in my life and those around me. I eventually felt led to a specific field of ministry that would challenge me deeply. Having some experience with young adults, my heart and call drew me to minister to a subset of that group, namely college students.
When I got my degree, I never thought that God would use me solely as a minister. I thought I’d be behind a desk in an office making projections and using bar graphs to interpret success for my company. I thought I’d be wearing a collared shirt and tie everyday. I thought I’d be generating profits and eating high-dollar meals.
Yet God chose me in spite of my degree and ambition.
After having been accepted into the college ministry internship where I was to learn theology and skillsets to make me an effective minister, I moved four hours away from family and friends to embark on a journey that would eventually be the fuel I would need to sustain me into what is now my tenth year of ministry.
From this ministry, I have seen souls saved, disciples made, healings received, prophecies given, and students experiencing the call of God on their lives to go and take the gospel where it has not been established (and these are students from universities much more prestigious than mine!)
The point I am trying to make is I received my call to ministry in one of the most challenging, turbulent times in recent economic history. Out of difficulty and strife, God birthed something in me that has affected many for His goodness and glory.
While it is predicted to be not as bad as the 2007-2008 recession, there are some who believe recession will impact the economy once more. This recession would be joined with the supply chain aftereffects of Covid-19 and it’s subsequent variants, the ongoing war with Russian and Ukraine, and the possibility of a China-Taiwan war brewing. So while it won’t be as fierce as the credit-excess recession of 2007-2008, it will compound into an already demanding state of the world.
It is hard to look at such things and imagine what chaos lurks underneath. We no longer inhabit a predictable world. People will once again have to find resolve to be flexible and take on a posture of humility in order to survive, and while it may seem like all hope is lost, hope is instead birthed out of the crucible of these moments. As Australian pastor, Mark Sayers, puts it, “Crisis precedes renewal.” I agree with him and put my hope that, come what may, renewal will be birthed once more.
I’m writing this last paragraph from an annex window that overlooks the heart of my university. Students are walking to their next class; some are rushing to the dining hall for a quick lunch. What might God be up to in this moment of time, and how might these young people play a part? I’m not entirely sure, but I do know that God is going to continue calling people like these students just like He called me ten years ago to build His kingdom.
