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 "The fundamentals of the economy are strong." Ooops; maybe they're not! The Government (or should we say the
taxpayer) is bailing out failing financial institutions. Is that a good idea? Good men differ! Investment banks are going the way of the
dinosaurs. Foreign banks are buying the
assets of domestic banks and investment houses.
What is going on?
The value of the dollar is near an all time low! 401K plans are going up and down like a
sophisticated roller coaster! Investors
are even pulling money out of their "money market" accounts and turning it into
cash! $200 billion in 5 days!
Will we see runs on local banks like the nation experienced
heading in to the great depression? Foreclosures
and bankruptcies are taking place in record numbers!
Hurricanes are requiring billions of dollars for emergency
response and recovery! Droughts, floods
and frost have destroyed millions of acres of crops! Oil prices have gone up
five-fold in a couple of years. The
balance of trade is way out of whack!
Is it the end times, the tribulation (of course not), or is
Armageddon just around the corner? Is
the end of the world here? What are we
going to do? What is the Christian to
do?
Stop! Take a deep breath. Think!
Isn't it incredible how financial issues impact our theology? Sad how the turbulent times expose the weakness
in our faith.
Consider for a moment the Apostle Paul's exhortation to
Timothy about conducting his ministry as a pastor. He said: "Charge
them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in
the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;" (1 Tim 6:17 KJV). How much trust are we really putting in our
riches our [uncertain] riches? The anxiety
we experience over the turbulent times is the barometer that will measure our
trust. Its reading is undeniably
accurate! And we may not like what it
says. In fact, it may be embarrassing,
or it might bring shame. Confess the
sin! There is hope! Paul says we are to keep our trust in the
living God, not our stuff! Do we think
He knows what is going on? Does He
really know the beginning and the end? Is He really in control? If so, are we OK with that? We should be.
Jesus Himself taught us that our anxiety is foolish:
"No man
can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or
else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and
mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought (don't be anxious) for your life, what ye shall eat, or what
ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life
more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor
gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much
better than they? Which of you by taking
thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field,
how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in
all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the
field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much
more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we
drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (Mat 6:32 KJV) For
after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knoweth
that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all
these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take
thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
(Mtt. 6:24-34 KJV)
So what should the Christian do in these turbulent financial
times? Some are saying sell now, other
just sit tight. Some say buy gold, turn
to real estate, or buy cattle. While
asset allocation and investment diversification may be wise strategies for the
prudent investor, we must keep our trust and confidence in God, not our stuff! That means we must follow God's Word.
From a stewardship perspective I think it would be wise to
consider the advice that Solomon gave his son:
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy
herds. For riches are not for ever: and
doth the crown endure to every generation? (Prov 27: 23-24 KJV)
He was to be diligent about the management of
his resources (flocks and herds). He was
to "know their state" and he was to "look well" to them. That is, he was to know where his assets were
positioned and understand what they we accomplishing. He was to pay regular attention to this
work. This would likely include doing
risk analysis on an ongoing basis. It
would certainly involve decision making.
When moving that herd or flock to another pasture, he had to make sure
it would be good for the sheep. It
needed to be a place where the sheep would be sustained and prosper. It also needed to be a place where the sheep
could be protected by the shepherd.
Now is the time to be especially diligent about your
resources. You need to be paying close
attention to them. Do you know what you
have? Where it is positioned? What it is accomplishing? Do you know the risk it has? Does any of it need to be moved "from one
pasture to another?" Whatever you do,
don't panic, be prudent, or forward looking.
I can't help but think of what it must have been like in
Joseph's day in Egypt. Seven years of drought and famine. It was no doubt a disaster of great
proportion. Can you imagine how
unsettled the people must have been? But
isn't it amazing how God used it by giving Joseph the wisdom to be "forward
looking?" The 20% per year savings plan that Joseph instituted resulted in
wonderful provision and put the nation in a position of financial strength.
Consider the following practical suggestions:
Pay attention to the activity that is going on in the
financial world. Read about it from several different sources in order to get a
better understanding and a more complete view of the real picture.
Be sure you have
available cash to weather the storm.
This storm will pass. This will
help you understand the value of short-term savings (an emergency fund).
Make sure you are diversified
in your investments and asset allocations.
Don't fall victim to the panic of others. Operate on purpose from Biblical principle,
not emotion.
You may want to re-think
the effect of debt in your life. You
can see how devastating it can be to other people, even to large companies. We
have come to accept the fact that it is normal to have a house mortgage, car
loans, open balances on credit cards and revolving charge accounts. Learn from this crisis and become diligent
about controlling spending and becoming debt-free. Regarding debt, consider the intensity
Solomon told his son he should have in freeing himself from such a burden:
"My
son, if thou be surety (to give or be security-guaranteeing the payback of
borrowed money) for thy friend, if thou
hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, Thou art snared with the words of thy
mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself,
when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make
sure thy friend. Give not sleep to thine
eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from
the hand of the fowler. (Prov 6:1-5 KJV)
To get out from under the financial obligation he was to work at it with
the same intensity that a deer who was being pursued by the hunter had as he
tried to escape. Debt is a master, and it can be a terrible master. The rich ruleth over the poor, and the
borrower is servant to the lender. (Prov 22:7 KJV)
You may want to consider some lifestyle changes, like down-sizing.
Learn from the
mistakes of others. No doubt there
have been many who, although sincere, have been sincerely wrong. Others have been exposed for their greed,
selfishness, and ungodly behavior; seemingly having no conscience about losing
the lifetime savings of others. The
truth is, many people don't care what happens to other people! As Christians
we must be careful not to let these financially difficult times turn us into
self-centered, uncaring people.
The writer of Hebrews exhorts:
"Let your conversation (manner of living) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have:
for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my
helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." (Heb 13:5-6
KJV)
We have not been abandoned during
these turbulent times by our faithful Lord.
We need to look to Him, and trust in Him. Obedience and faithfulness is our duty now,
and forever! As I write this, I cannot
help but think of the words of the old hymn, "Stand By Me":
When the storms of
life are raging,
Stand by me
When the storms of
life are raging,
Stand by me
When the world is
tossing me
Like a ship upon the sea
Thou Who rulest wind and water,
Stand by me
In the midst of tribulation,
Stand by me
In the midst of tribulation,
Stand by me
When the hosts of
hell assail,
And my strength begins to fail,
Thou Who never lost a battle,
Stand by me
In the midst of
faults and failures,
Stand by me
In the midst of faults and failures,
Stand by me
When I do the best
I can,
And my friends misunderstand,
Thou Who knowest all about me,
Stand by me
When I'm growing
old and feeble,
Stand by me
When I'm growing
old and feeble,
Stand by me
When my life
becomes a burden,
And I'm nearing chilly Jordan,
O Thou "Lily of the Valley,"
Stand by me
Charles A. Tindley,
1905
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