Thoughts On The Economy

How's your bank statement looking today? For many of us it appears that things are pretty difficult. Throughout the Bible we hear statements about being wise stewards and the adverse effects that the love of money can have on people, relationships, and even societies. Guess what, the Bible has been proven correct as we look at our current financial struggles as a nation (and around the world for that matter) and personally. Greed and corruption have run rampant because it our societal shifts have been designed to encourage greed in promoting the things that help us achieve wealth in this society creating a materialistic culture that is focused on possessions. Today we see large corporations that we give some responsibility for our financial well-being (by investing or depositing our money) going bankrupt. Greed has caused the decision-makers to abandon ethics and common-sense principles about handling money and try to create a system where more could be had at any cost. Unfortunately, these huge companies have been pardoned for their misdeeds through an economic bailout. Doesn't it seem unfair that they have squandered our money and yet the government is willing to swoop in and give them our tax money to deal with. If we ran out of money and couldn't pay our bills we would be sued, fined, and taken to account for our fiances...what we would not find is a free pass. The bottom line is that crafty and shrewd business maneuvering was shown to be ineffective. The principles of stewardship and financial responsibility found in the Bible (mainly not getting into ridiculous debts and avoiding a mindset of materialism) would have kept us from this disastrous situation. In fact, many people who have applied these principles, while maybe feeling a bit of the crunch, are still doing OK financially. Maybe it is time we give Biblical responsibility a try. Principles of greed and corruption have gotten us into a mess. Honestly, the best way to get out of this mess is to engage in Biblical financial principles. (Also, maybe we should try to get God appointed as secretary of the treasury seeing as how He has taught us the right principles along.)Unfortunately we cannot force our county to become financially responsible, but we can personally search the Scriptural mandates and find ways to implement these basic, simple, yet remarkable principles into our lives. Biblical principles on money may go against the tide of American culture a little bit, but I think we can all see the destination that tide is flowing to is not so pretty or promising. So, my encouragement to you is to look back many years ago to financial principles that work found in Scripture. Do you really want advice in getting out of a financial mess from the very same people who brought you the mess? Take your Bible and open to the back where the concordance is and look up the words "money", "stewardship", "debt". Then look up all the verses where these Scriptures are found reading the verses before and after as well (for better context). See how basic yet profound these principles are? Read the principles and consider how you can apply them to your lives. Another good resource for dealing with finances are both Dave Ramsey and Crown Financial Ministries who provide tremendous Biblical based resources on finances. It is important to be financially stable and living with good stewardship because it will absolutely affect your spiritual life. We cannot change the country's economic status, but we surely can do something for our own financial well being.

That's What I'm Thinking For Now,
Bill

Simple Tips On Finances:
1.) Cut up the credit cards
2.) Create a budget and stick to it
3.) Use cash whenever possible
4.) Make cuts in your budget when money is tight, but don't cut back your giving to God's work
(and I'm not just saying that because I am a pastor)
5.) Make your money a matter of prayer in good times and bad
- God is the provider of all that we recieve, so it is a great idea to consult Him.
6.) Find accountablity with someone close to you
- Often we don't like to talk about finances because they are personal, but talking with a trusted friend can provide the accountability and support to become financially strong
7.) Teach your kids now the value of money and the dangers of credit
- School's often teach kids how to get credit, but not the dangers or responsibilities associated with it.