Christ and the Economic Crisis:
Entering the Rest

Tough times are a fair test of our faith. At times like these we should be able turn to the guiding principles of our lives. There should be something in the ancient scripts and sacred scrolls that give us sense of hope and direction. During these uncertain days the question of, "What does God want me to do?" can't be answered with religious cliches, not when the children of God see the world around them frantically falling apart.
The Bible instructs us to do something that may anger economist who tell us to spend our way to freedom or the financial advisors who urge us to hide our money away in fear of a coming depression. Strangely enough the Bible tells us to remain calm, be patient and rest. These instructions go against the common advice given by the TV wisemen. Keep in mind, they make their living based not on financial success, but on their ability to stir up fear and confusion to a level that compells us to tune in the next day for another spoonful of panic. Thankfully these conditions are nothing new.
".. since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses (talk of panic) we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us ..." (Hebrews 12:1)
Paul, the suspected writer of Hebrews, encourages us first to forget our past mistakes. If we are honest we have to admit to having made some missteps by mispending money or not saving enough when times were good. Regardless of the mistakes you may have made it does no good to further punish yourself by bearing the "weight" of your past. You can not move foward to something better in life if you are paralyzed over what could have been.
Times like these also cause us to rush to make up for what we have lost. "Running YOUR race with patience" means this is no time to obsess about what someone else has. Don't occupy time looking for get-rich-quick strategies. Refuse to waste moments toiling in endeavors that are not purposed for you. You may tempted to answer the ads for a job claiming to make thousands with only part-time effort but is it worth the cost of being away from your family. The economy is cyclical and will eventually rebound. To my knowledge there is no way to get back the time lost with loved ones. Your child won't remember or care that the reason mom or dad missed important moments in their life was due to a recession.
Perhaps you are looking for work and are thinking, "I will do anything to put food on the table." Just as you easily as you could do "anything" you could do "something". Something meaning finding work that not only provides, but is true to who God created you to be. God is more apt to bless a job search that highlights the gifts he gave you than one focused on paying bills. Now is the time to find out why God blessed you with this time off. Yes, "blessed" you! Be honest, while you were working the full time job you hated when would you have stopped to ask God, "What do YOU want me to do with this life?" He has given you this time to listen to his voice. In the meantime don't stress, he will protect you and your family during the conversation.
Lastly, over the past decade we pursued the mighty dollar to the point of exhaustion. Whether you were trying to be a real estate mogul or a stock market millionaire, most of us were so money driven that we didn't make time to truly rest. We took and occasional vacation, but our minds remained occupied by thoughts of financial increase. I truly believe the economic slowdown was intended, in part, to provide a meaningful rest for our souls. As the book of Hebrews explains;
"... we must make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall..." (4:11)
Perhaps if during the past several years we had taken a moment to rest we may have heard the voice of God saying things like, "Slow down!", "Don't be greedy!", and "Put your family first!" Maybe our loving God was trying to save us from ourselves but we were too busy to listen. During this economic slowdown reset your pace, don't listen to the hysterical voices of the world, and learn to rest in the blessings that remain. Let us remember that Christ often rested in the midst of frantic situations. He understood that in order for there to be peace in the world around him that he must first have peace within.