Early in my professional career, I became desperate for change. Being an auditor was not what I was created to do, and while I didn’t know what I was created to do, I knew it wasn’t being an auditor. I was miserable and unfulfilled.
Later in my career, while I enjoyed my work, my boss and I were not aligned. I was desperate for change, miserable, and unfulfilled.
Yet again desperation returned, this time with me being unemployed. After seven long months, I didn’t see an end in sight, despite much effort and multiple strong possibilities that just didn’t seem to be moving forward. When will I land?!? I have a wife and four kids to support! I need answers!
Perhaps you’re like me and feeling desperate and miserable while being unemployed or unfulfilled. Today I’d like to share some perspectives to consider with the topic of desperation.
Two Situations with Two Very Different Outcomes
To get us started, let’s look at a couple of examples away from the subject of career transition. First, one with a good outcome, and second, a situation that didn’t end well.
It was April 13, 1970, two days after lift off from Kennedy Space Center. Desperation had quickly set in for the crew of Apollo 13 as an oxygen tank had exploded, disabling its electrical and life-support system. The Command Module systems had to be shut down to conserve its remaining resources for reentry to earth’s atmosphere, and the crew had to transfer to the Lunar Module as a lifeboat. With the lunar landing cancelled, mission controllers worked feverishly to bring the crew home alive.
Although the Lunar Module was designed to support two men, new procedures had to be rapidly developed to support three men for four days due to this life-threatening development. Out of the box thinking and immediate actions were required.
Mechanical adjustments were made and a new looping route around the moon was plotted out for the Lunar Module to return safely to earth. The crew and mission controllers were successful in improvising a solution, literally “on the fly”. ¹
In Genesis 25:29-34 we’re told, “Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted.
And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!”
Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.”
Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?”
Jacob said, “Swear to me now.”
So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
Desperation for outcomes in both cases. With Apollo 13, desperation inspired and propelled rapid creativity and innovation to get fantastic results no one had foreseen. With Jacob and Esau, disastrous results ensued.
Challenges Occur When Desperation Hits
Career transition is no different. As I shared at the start of this blog, I’ve personally experienced desperation in several different forms, and I’ve observed it with hundreds of people we’ve supported through Crossroads Career.
Multiple challenges occur when desperation hits, and unfortunately, most of us don’t really know how we will respond to it. We can think through and talk about the “what if’s,” but until desperation is really upon us, I would submit we can never fully grasp our potential reactions.
You see, the context of the situation is always at play. For example, if I have $20,000 in the bank, no debt, and get a nice severance package, I’m going to feel quite differently than if I have nothing in the bank, a mountain of credit card debt, and my employer closed its doors with no severance for anyone.
Same outcome of being unemployed. VERY different levels of concern (and perhaps, a tad bit of desperation?)
While I could spend a fair amount of time writing about tactical applications of what to do when employment desperation sets in, instead I’m going to suggest you discuss your situation with one of our experienced Crossroads Guides. (Click Here to get started) They will be able to empathetically listen to your situation and give you some specific objective advice and counsel for how to best navigate.
What I would like to draw your focus to is a plan of attack to avoid desperation altogether. Gasp! Yep, you read that right! How can you be at peace no matter your employment transition situation?
The 5 P’s of God’s Calling
Years ago, I heard a Chip Ingram broadcast entitled, “ How to Land the Job of Your Dreams!” My friend, Laura Miller outlined the framework of his process in a blog entitled, “The 5 P’s of God’s Calling.” You can read it here.
Ingram advises to find the job of your dreams, you should focus your priorities as follows:
- Person – What is your relationship with Jesus Christ?
- Purpose – How are you demonstrating Christlikeness in all you do?
- People – What community of His people are you actively engaged with?
- Process – How are you reflecting the sanctification process?
- Place – Where does God want you to be?
Please note that “where” is the last priority. 🙂 But if you’re like me, it was at the top of the list. 🙁
Once I got that straightened out and reprioritized, my desperation subsided, and my focus improved. Sort of like Stephen R. Covey’s “First things first” adage, when we have the right priorities, the rest of our “to do’s” sort themselves out!
However, I think we can enhance our overall focus even more if we channel any desperation that may hit us into a desperation for God.
As Jesus teaches us in Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” From the YouVersion Guided Scripture on this verse, “Every day, multiple times a day, little alarms are triggered inside your brain. They make your stomach growl, your mouth water, or your mind become fixed on that which you crave. God gave us physical needs that mirror our spiritual needs. Needs that must be met to stay healthy and alive.”
In a sermon from North Coast Church, Pastor Chris Brown points out we have two primal needs: hunger and thirst. Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:35) and living water (John 4:14). Without satiating those two needs, you are dead!
What do you really crave?
What are you diligently pursuing?
Are you desperate for Him?
My prayer for you today is that you’ll shift the paradigm you might have about career crossing desperation from one of fear and despondency to one of hope and peace.
Through the Holy Spirit’s power in helping us keep the main thing the main thing (aka following hard with Jesus), God’s blessings will manifest themselves in ways beyond our comprehension, as we’re told in Ephesians 3:20-21 – – “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen!
I pray THAT desperation sets in for all of us! Blessings!
¹ “Apollo 13.” Wikipedia, last modified June 30, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_13
Dave Sparkman currently serves as the volunteer Crossroads Career board chair and local ministry leader. He is also the founder and managing director of Spark Your Culture, a corporate culture consulting firm. Prior to that he worked at UnitedHealth Group, a Fortune #5 public company, serving in the role of Chief Culture Officer. His unemployment experience came from the implosion of Arthur Andersen, where he served as the West Region Managing Partner, People.
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