Hug your wife. Hug your kids. Hug your job? The term seems a little strange, but “job hugging” is the new workplace trend where employees cling to their current jobs instead of seeking new opportunities. With hiring slowing, AI disruptions rising, and economic uncertainty ahead, many see staying put as the safer choice—even if it means missed growth and the possibility of new opportunities. This represents a significant change from the Great Resignation that peaked in 2021. During the height of COVID, it felt like opportunities were everywhere, and people were quickly jumping ship in search of greener pastures or better working situations. My, how things have changed.
A recent Resumebuilder.com survey discovered that 45% of workers are job-hugging because switching jobs right now feels too risky. They may be in roles where they are unhappy, unsatisfied, or even unfulfilled, yet the idea of holding on to a job you don’t like is better than looking for a new one. It’s not that workers are not interested in finding new jobs; they are just worried about finding them in this current economy.
When you consider all the statistics and all the economic results, that seems like a very logical thing to do. However, as followers of Christ, we must always ask, are we following the numbers or God’s calling? Especially since we are called to walk by faith and not by sight. In this current economy, where God is still our source and provider, is job-hugging playing it safe or missing God’s call?
Trusting God in Every Season
I have openly shared that I am currently in a job-searching season after being laid off from the company I worked at for the last 13 years. During this experience, I have uncovered a truth that applies to most believers (or at least it did to me). Most of the time, we don’t trust God as much as we say we do. It is easy to say you trust God when you know how all the bills will be paid, where the next paycheck is coming from, or you have a reasonable idea of how everything will work out for you. That journey becomes much more challenging when you don’t know. That’s why I can make the argument that we don’t trust God completely until we are forced to.
In Genesis 12, God gave Abraham this command:
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. - Genesis 12:1
In this moment, Abraham had a choice. He could stay where he was or follow where God was leading. Abraham obeyed God and trusted his promise. This is the epitome of trusting God because Abraham was living a good life with his father and could have “job-hugged” instead; he followed God into the unknown. Trusting God in life means moving even when you don’t know what the outcome will be, but because you trust him, you do what he is telling you to do. I will never declare this is easy, but these are the moments that reveal where our trust truly lies.
Is 'Job-Hugging' Preventing You from Stepping Out in Faith?
Do you feel like God is calling you to do something different or take a step of faith and trust in a new direction? One thing I don’t want to do is appear to be a proponent of recklessness or be a purveyor of emotional decisions. If you are going to follow God’s purpose, you cannot do this on a whim. The challenge becomes even greater when there are more people involved. If you are a single person responsible only for yourself, the decision is still challenging, but at least it does not affect other people. Once you add a spouse, children, or other obligations, it adds another layer of concern to the decision. These responsibilities can cause you to hold tight where you are, even if you sense God is leading you to do something different. Herein lies the dilemma. When the pull to hold tight feels stronger than the call to step out, how do we discern whether job-hugging is wise stewardship—or fear keeping us from God’s greater purpose? Invariably, this is the question we must answer because, regardless of the surrounding economy, our first obligation is to follow God’s leading. When he leads, sometimes he requires us to act even when the circumstances are not ideal. This is another indicator of where we are putting our complete trust.
3 Ways to Discern God's Lead in Our Lives
I want to be both spiritual and practical in helping you discern whether God is leading you. I can’t tell you yes or no without knowing your situation, but I can give you some steps to take to help you reach that conclusion.
1. Lean into Your Relationship with God
We can trust God because he is our Father. In my situation, as I am trying to discern what my next steps will be, I have had to come to this understanding: God is my Father, and because of that relationship, he is obligated to take care of me. I don’t say this based on arrogance; I say it based on what he has promised.
"Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" - Matthew 6:25-26
When Abraham obeyed God and left his father’s house, all he had was a promise from God, but that was enough. God has promised to care for those who belong to him throughout Scripture, so if he leads you, know he will provide. I cannot say how, and I don’t know where it will come from, but you can trust that he will.
2. Lean into Prayer
Decisions like these don’t require less prayer but more prayer. Being confident in how God leads you is impossible if you don’t talk to him in prayer. This is when you can share all your emotions, ask questions, and even express your fears and concerns. Don’t worry, God won’t rebuke you because you have problems. He wants you to bring them to him. Pour your heart out before him, and then let him pour peace and comfort into you.
3. Lean into Counsel
It is critical to surround yourself with people who can pray with you and help you discern how God is leading you. These should be voices of confirmation of what God is already leading you to do. I have seen too many people chase things because they got a word from a pastor or “prophet” that did not align with anything God had placed in their hearts. When God stirs something new in you, he starts internally and confirms it externally. The role of counsel is to provide external confirmation that reinforces what God has already been speaking to you.
Do You Hug or Do You Let Go?
I don’t know what God is stirring in your heart, but you do. Following God’s call is not always easy and rarely convenient. Remember, we don’t need to trust him if it is convenient. If God is calling you in a new direction, don’t be reckless, but draw closer to him so you can clearly know how he is leading you. If he is indeed leading you out, hugging your job may give you a sense of security, but you might miss all God has for you. It is always better to run after what God has for you when those are the options. It may not feel like it when you take that first step, but that is the best and most secure place in life you will ever be.
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