Survive the Credit Crunch the Jesus Way

If you want to talk to someone locally, please call in for a bite to eat and a chat at Southam Community Church (Entrance either from Wood Street Car Park,  or adjacent to Pets’ Attic, Coventry Street) on Tuesdays 12.30-2.30pm, or ring one of the clergy (see the Contacts page).
There is also a very helpful website at http://www.cofe.anglican.org/debt; if you are struggling with debt go to http://www.cofe.anglican.org/debt/strugglingwithdebt.

What follows is from a spiritual perspective.
 
1) Decide which God to serve.

2) Prepare for the worst.

3) Do not be afraid.

4) Put first things first.


1) Decide which God to serve.

We are being encouraged to spend our way out of recession, to help our producers and retailers by buying their products whether we need them or not. This is a materialistic solution to a materialistic problem, and it is not sufficient. Our economic difficulties are symptoms of a deeper malaise with spiritual roots; that spiritual side must be addressed. The real problem is that our culture is dominated by materialism, and our Christian heritage is sidelined. Even many church members have lifestyles which are not much different from those of their materialistic neighbours.

Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, 'No-one can serve two masters... You cannot serve both God and Money' (Matthew 6:24). Materialism is a kind of religion, in that it conflicts with the teaching of Jesus. Even if our goal in life is not to get rich but simply to get by, it is still a materialistic goal. Jesus teaches us not to store up treasures on earth but in heaven, for our heart will be where our treasure is. It is vital for our hearts to be in the right place, close to God; but if our chief concerns are for pleasure, comfort, or even security, we will not be able to serve God properly.

We need to make up our minds: God or materialism. As a nation we can choose either to try to solve our problems by economic and political action alone, keeping God on the side-line or perhaps enlisting his help in support, or we can turn back to God and become in practice what we have been in name, a Christian country in which Jesus' teachings are by and large accepted and followed. If we decide to leave the spiritual side out of it, we'll just have to live with the consequences. If we serve God, then we can trust him to look after us.
2) Prepare for the worst.

God looks after us by helping us through difficulties, not necessarily by helping us avoid them, and we cannot expect immunity from the problems the nation is suffering. 

I suspect that the current financial crisis is not just a phase in the economic cycle, but the end of an era. What will come afterwards may well be very different from what has been before, and we cannot assume that in time 'normal service' will be resumed. If there is a seismic shift in global economies many in the West may well be a lot worse off materially, and that would include people from all religions and none. A turning to Christ would not change that; but it would change the spiritual, psychological and emotional climate. The pain might not be so severe and a sense of 'well being' would probably increase over all.

Whatever happens, Christians need to be prepared for suffering and for sacrifice, being ready to help those in need whoever they may be.  (We should not need a crisis to tell us this.)
3) Do not be afraid.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus followed his teaching about money with an encouragement not to worry about the necessities of life. He pointed out that God cares and provides for the least of his creatures; how much more will he provide for us! He was not teaching that we should stop planning and working for life's necessities. But he was saying that these things should not cause us anxiety, for God loves us and will ensure that we have everything we need. (That may not be the same as what we want, nor will it always come at what we think is the right time.)

When Christ is our Lord and master, there's no cause for panic if we find we have lost our job or that our pension is no longer going to be sufficient. He knows the situation. He still has plans for us, and is willing and able to provide what we and our families need. It may mean swallowing our pride and accepting help, or doing work that is a waste of our talents - at least for the time being. But whatever we find ourselves doing, we can do it for him and be blessed in doing it. We must not sit back and do nothing. We can trust him to use our efforts, and to ensure our needs are met.
4) Put first things first.

'Seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well,' said Jesus. 'Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own' (Matthew 6:33,34).
We are being called by God to get our priorities right. His agenda trumps all others. His Spirit has to inspire both our character development and our lifestyles. He is to be trusted, even when it does not seem rational to do so.

Our circumstances are much greater than we see. We have a history and a future - a history that includes the gift of the Son of God for the salvation of the world, and a future that includes eternal life in a new creation, through faith in Jesus Christ. We have a present that has a huge unseen spiritual dimension, including the presence with us of the Holy Spirit of God. God is working all things for good - and for the good of us who love him. We have to walk by faith, not by sight!