Listen & Reflect · No. 001
Jabez prayed from a place of pain for God to enlarge his territory, and this song encourages me during my unemployed, in debt, and fighting the feeling that rejection had made me a failure.
Press play, then read at your own pace. Nothing starts on its own.
The songs for this reflection, they all play here
01 · The name I didn't choose
The song "Bless Me (The Prayer Of Jabez)" by Donald Lawrence and The Tri-City Singers strengthened me by taking me back to 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 where we read about Jabez, whose mother gave him that name because he was born out of pain and how he asked God to bless him.
Like Jabez, I have been experiencing challenging moments being unemployed and as a result struggling with financial debt. This has also affected my social life.
I have struggled with self-doubt from the many failed job applications, which has affected me psychologically. That feeling of rejection and sense of failure. Being labeled as not being good enough, can take a toll on anyone. Even though I know intellectually that I am not a failure, my life experiences seem to say otherwise.
Being unemployed has become my label, like a name that represents failure, similar to Jabez's name meaning pain. In spite of Jabez's name being a label of pain, he did not let his origin determine his future. Sometimes things happen to us outside of our ability to make a difference. Jabez could not control the pain his mother experienced during his birth, so he chose to rise above that label and his past and asked God to make a difference. Being unemployed is a situation outside of my control, but I can, like Jabez, choose to keep pushing forward. My present circumstance is not my worth, and not my destiny.
02 · Enlarge my territory
So like Jabez, I ask God to enlarge my territory. Like Jabez, I will not let my past or present situation define what is possible tomorrow. For me, enlarging my territory is being successful at building my cybersecurity brand. For me, enlarging my territory is finally being financially stable again, so I can go back to helping others.
So this is what I want to share with anyone reading who may be going through their own moment of pain, whether from being labeled a failure or from rejection. Remember that God has the power to turn things around in your life. I am still on my journey and believe that while I am still going through, God will enlargen my territory. So do the same: keep strong and do not give up, because God is still standing by. Just keep your prayer, trust, and faith going.
And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.
Keep Your hand upon me, that no evil cannot harm me, sunshine and rain, sickness and pain
Prayer
Lord, You know the label that my situation has tried to give me. Enlarge my territory, put Your hand on my efforts to build my cybersecurity brand and grant me success to overcome my financial challenges, and keep me from believing that my present situation including rejection reflects my worth. I am still on the journey, and I trust You to turn it around. Amen.
Carry it with you
Arranged by season, not by artist.