The economic picture out there is pretty depressing. I’ve recently had time to take a look at the global economy and I had to stop because what I read was driving faith from me.
Economic conditions are terrible. From stock market/exchanges recording daily unprecedented losses to major firms going bankrupt it couldn’t be worse. Major firms and employers of labour are either closing up or declaring large job cuts. Estimates put job losses in the US at about 1.2million between January and October 2008. the UK isn’t doing better as major companies have announced job cuts recently. From the IT industry to pharmaceutical, banking and motor car companies the picture is not good.
Government of nations are struggling to deal with the problem but they are clearly overwhelmed. Britain announced a cut in interest rate in Feb to about 5.25% in a desperate bid to stimulate economic activities. They recently (November 2008) reduced it to a further 3% and friends the economy has still refused to respond. Even as the world celebrates Obama, he makes bold to declare that they are facing the greatest economic crunch of their time.
I have over the last month’s watched whole portfolio most especially stocks lose so much value. Stocks worth millions have been reduced to a few thousand in the last couple of months.
How do we as Christians respond to all this? Do we get scared and careful too? Do we loose faith and refuse to invest? Do we become stingy and begin to hoard some against the unknown day? Friends this is our testimony as Christians whose supply is not controlled by world/global economies but according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus:
Phil 4:11-13 …….for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want. I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. Hallelujah.
That means we are not disquieted by the state of the economy, but we posses the peace of one who knows that his providence is of God. We know how to conduct ourselves during economic downturns in other to extract the good in those situations.
Yes!!! Good in economic recessions. Friends, all things work together (are orchestrated together) for our good. There might be cast downs all around but we are still being lifted. Therefore take advantage of the recession.
Friends in these situations don’t hold back. Keep on investing rightly. Eccl 11 4, 6(paraphrased) ‘…… he that observes, studies or is moved by economic conditions will not invest. So in the morning sow thy seed (when it is good) and IN THE EVENING WITHOLD NOT THY HAND (when it is bad and unclear and the natural inclination is to hold back).
Glory to God! Even as the world goes through difficult times, don’t withhold your hand. Because God’s faithfulness ensures we always have to sow and to eat (he ministers both seed and bread and multiplies our SEED SOWN….2Cor9:10) keep giving, and keep investing. Don’t observe the wind. Observe the Spirit. You’ll come out on top.
– emmanuel aladenusi
It is not difficult to differentiate in a Christian gathering the older ones in the faith and the upcoming ones. The difference is always clear because the younger ones are always vibrant, industrious and versatile while the older ones act slowly, steadily, and calmly. This is not comparison between the aged and the youths but length of relationship duration with God; i.e. how long the older ones have been serving as Christians in comparison with the how long the younger ones have been serving as Christians irrespective of the age.
You would often find the older Christian tell the younger ones that it’s because they have not had any experience, which in most cases means they have not had any disappointment in the faith. If only they’ve had any, their vibrancy would have died. This was exactly the same attitude put up by the older Christians when they gathered to pray in Acts 12 for the release of Peter. Apart from the fact that Peter was released despite their actions, faithless expressions and multitude of words, they almost killed the vision, and vibrancy of a young Christian lady. (Peter now realized what had happened, and he said, “I am certain that the Lord sent his angel to rescue me from Herod and from everything the Jewish leaders planned to do to me.” Then Peter went to the house of Mary the mother of John who’s other name was Mark. Many of the Lord’s followers had come together there and were praying. Peter knocked on the gate and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. When she heard Peter’s voice, she was too excited to open the gate. She ran back into the house and said that Peter was standing there. “You are crazy!” everyone told her. But she kept saying that it was Peter. Then they said, “It must be his angel.” But Peter kept on knocking, until finally they opened the gate. They saw him and were completely amazed.)
The elders did not only disbelief and said she was mad but further doubted and said it must be his angel. All we need in our day and age where lukewarmness is the order of the day and where some older Christians pose as sources of discouragement is to maintain our fervency in the lord. They had every reason to have acted the way they did. They could have said to themselves that from experience Peter should have died or be on his way to the point of slaughter just like it happened to James.
Whenever you pray and you are convinced that God is at work please stay with your conviction. Under no circumstance and guise should you allow the so called experiences pollute your conviction in what God is able to do. STAY CONVINCED.
– adeyiga awomuti