Why Faith in God Brings True Job Security: Lessons from Employees and Business Owners

The difference between a salaried employee and a self-employed person comes down mostly to headaches. An employee has plenty of stress related to deadlines, workload, bosses, and office politics. However he usually doesn’t need to deal with the nitty-gritty details of taxes, reimbursements, social security, health insurance, VAT, sick days, and all the endless paperwork which is handled by accounting. He gets his paycheck, glances at the slip to see the deductions, but doesn’t spend hours filing declarations at the tax office. Most importantly, once he leaves work and gets home, the stress of the workday ends.

A small business owner, even with just two employees, must manage everything. Paperwork is only a small piece of the puzzle. He must also keep his workers happy, handle absences, track supplies, manage output, juggle hours, and sometimes even worry about the kids when school is closed. All of these details eat into his time and energy. The business owner’s headaches continue long after leaving the office, and often even into his dreams.

Who Earns More?

At the end of the month (or week, or day), when an employee opens his paycheck, the numbers on the slip usually don’t look like those of the average self-employed person. Still, I know many people willing to put up with lots of headaches if it means seeing a big plus in their bank account at the end of the month. Of course, most people want that result without the headaches, but that’s called winning the lottery.

The ideal arrangement is to be an employee but earn like a business owner, or even better, to have the mindset of an owner while enjoying the security of a salary. That’s exactly the advantage of a believing Jew.

Faith: Working With the Best Boss

One of the greatest benefits of religious life is the ability to look upward in times of struggle. A Jew who keeps Torah and mitzvot is essentially an “employee” who enjoys the income of a business owner, because you get the maximum reward with minimum stress.

You have a book of instructions — mitzvot, that you carry out as best you can within your abilities. They repeat, so you can grow accustomed even to the harder ones. God, your Boss, never demands something beyond what you can do, and if you’ve tried your best and still failed, you can ask for another chance. Where else do you find a workplace with terms like that?

The icing on the cake is that everything you accomplish in this life is credited directly to you. You’re building your own eternal “villa,” so there’s no reason to complain about the work.

Removing Worry Through Faith

Turning to God is one of the greatest perks of serving Him. God Himself says: “Don’t worry! Do what you can, and I’ll take care of the rest: your livelihood, your health, food, clothing, marriage, children, everything. And know this: whatever I do is for your good, even if right now you don’t see the full picture. If it looks like you lack something, it’s actually the very best thing for you.”

A child receives food, health, and breath for 13 years before he is even obligated to keep mitzvot. Who gave him all that if not God? There’s no discrimination — your race, appearance, gender, or background don’t matter. Everyone is equal. Promotions are based solely on effort, not on pushing others aside. At the end, the Employer hands over everything the worker has “earned” directly to him.

The Ultimate Job Security

Being a Jew who keeps mitzvot means being God’s employee, without worries. It takes inner work to fully let go of anxiety, but the journey begins with small steps. From experience, I can tell you that it works, and it works well.