With the economic crisis looming, I have sometimes stopped to wonder what it would be like to live through another Great Depression.  I remember my teachers in school assuring us that our economic gurus would never allow something like that to happen ever again — yet here we are, watching our representatives and senators working night and day through an emergency session to try to prevent a collapse of not just Wall Street, but also of Main Street.

It is tempting to allow fear to take over, obsessing over the “what-ifs.”  God knew these kinds of things would happen, and he’s already given us very sound financial advice.  1 Timothy 6 has a couple of gems for us to examine:

For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

And another gem:

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Many of us are “rich in this present world.”  We live in houses or apartments, we drive cars, we have enough food to eat.  But we also put our hope in wealth, don’t we?  I’m just as guilty of this as the next person.  I assume that my husband will bring home a paycheck and that our bank balance has enough for us to pay for our food.

It is time to actively put my hope in God, who is the source of that paycheck and who richly provides us with everything we need.  Why should we panic?  If the market falls, God will provide.

I have friends who recently went from a 2-income household to a 1-income household so the mom could stay home with the children.  She likes to say that they are FROG-ging it.  That’s Fully Relying On God for everything.

If nothing else, this awareness of the fragility of our economic structure has made me look more closely at my own spending habits and at God’s guidelines.  I’ve found two great websites that I am exploring, looking for ways to change my own way of thinking.  Perhaps they will be helpful to you, as well:

Dave Ramsey is all about getting out from under debt.  Here he outlines why our market is in crisis mode and what could be done to fix it.

I also came across a blog about ten financial Biblical principles that I’m slowly reading, trying to digest.  I think my next several blogs will be in this realm as I seek God’s will for my life.  And I thank Him for examining my heart in this way.  I don’t want to be the kind of person who runs after more and more stuff.  I want to be content!

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”^[a] So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
Hebrews 13:5-6