A Believer’s Response to Bad Economic News
October 30th, 2008 by 
David G. Johnson
It always happens in an election year — some kind of upheaval. But this year it really seems to have teeth. Banks failing, huge drops (and gains) in the stock market, businesses closing, layoffs, etc.
As believers, how do we respond?
I’ve spent a lot of time studying this subject this year. With ups and downs in my own business and perhaps more personal financial pressure than ever, a serious question emerges:
Does what we believe have the ability to produce what we need?
Notice the question does not address the One in Whom we believe. His character, His love, His ability and His goodness aren’t even remotely in question.
But what I’ve learned is that it matters what we believe about Him.
If, for example, I don’t believe that His help is available — whether it’s because I’m unaware of it or because I haven’t built up trust in Him through relationship and experiential knowledge — then I won’t seek it out. If I do seek it out, I might choose not to do what He leads me to do.
And guess what? That means that I don’t get the result that He promised. It’s that simple.
In today’s Proverb is this verse that caught my eye:
“Every word of God is tried and purified; He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him.”
(Proverbs 30:5 AMP)
With the storms of economic bad news raging around us, it’s time to “trust and take refuge in Him.” You may be surrounded with wreckage in the midst of this economic storm. You may have even taken some personal blows in your business or your family. But now’s not the time to leave the battlefield. It’s time to surround yourself with the shield and take refuge in it.
It occurs to me that shields are unnecessary if you’re not getting fired upon or attacked.
More on this in the days ahead.
Your thoughts?
Posted in Kingdom Economics Tagged:
Anxiety, Concern, Crisis, Does God want me to succeed, Recession of 2008, Stress, success, Victory, Worry
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October 30th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Indeed. My strategy has been to truly “seek first the Kingdom”. I have a strategy I follow when things are slow. I figure if I press into advancing the Kingdom I can’t go wrong. If it’s a God-ordained season of pruning or leanness, He’s my refuge. If it’s the devil attacking my finances, the longer he holds back the finances, the more damage I’m going to do to his kingdom. Either way, I win!
Thanks for the encouragement!
October 30th, 2008 at 11:50 am
This economic time is reminding me that what is most important is relational, not financial. I am reminded that I have a responsibility to share with my neighbor just as my neighbor shares with me. We become a community when we stop letting money rule us and allow God to rule us, and when we stop defining ourselves by how much we make and look instead to the unlimited storehouse of God’s kingdom. So in that light, the question, do we have the ability to produce what we need? must go one step further — do we believe that God can produce all that we need? And the answer we must come to, is Yes . . . and abundantly more.
October 30th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
I am grateful that God truly is our shield in time of trouble. Oftentimes, Scripture becomes ‘trite’ or ‘cliche’… but if we stop and take the time to take it to heart, we will see our lives transformed and the goodness of God rise up and overtake us.
October 31st, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Thanks for jumping in, everyone…
Rich, I like the way you think! He, “…always leads us to triumph in Christ.”
Katie, I appreciate the emphasis on the relational side of things. The fact is, that God always builds relationally. This has been a major season of relationship-building for my family and business this year. There’s a major paradigm shift happening — with more to come — for the Body of Christ along these lines. Good stuff!
And… last but not least, my lovely Sweetheart! Thanks for chiming in. These Scriptures are becoming very real to us, are they not! I’m thrilled to be on the journey with you!
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:29 am
[...] we began talking about A Believer’s Response to Bad Economic News. There’s so much more to talk about along these lines, but today let’s focus on the [...]