In these times of global unrest and uncertainty, our inclination may be to fear - but Christ says, "Fear not!"
These are fascinating days - days that the generations to come will likely read about in their history books.
The New York Times this past week posted the headline "Global Markets Shudder Amid Concerns over Currency" - this coming on the heels of the fact that more than 51 percent of the wealth in the global stock markets has vanished already this year, with no visible signs of abating... The Consumer Confidence Index has fallen to the lowest level ever registered in its 41-year history. Home prices in 20 major markets fell over 16% percent in August... The credit markets remained under stress and interest rates on mortgages and investment-grade bonds rose, which means consumers and businesses must pay more to borrow money... Many are predicting a recession, or even a depression, and unemployment unlike any that has been witnessed by our generation.
Wow. These are daunting facts. It's tempting to fear the reality of our economy... To fear the results of our election... To fear.
But wait a minute. Is Christ not our all-satisfying treasure? Does He not promise to provide for all our needs? John Piper sums it up very well in his Don't Waste Your Life study that some of our small groups did last year:
If Christ is an all-satisfying treasure and promises to provide all our needs, even through famine and nakedness, then to live as though we had all the same values as the world would betray him. I have in mind mainly how we use our money and how we feel about our possessions. I hear the haunting words of Jesus, "Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?' or ‘What shall we drink?' or ‘What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things" (Matthew 6:31-32). In other words, if we look like our lives are devoted to getting and maintaining things, we will look like the world, and that will not make Christ look great. He will look like a religious side-interest that may be useful for escaping hell in the end, but doesn't make much difference in what we live for and love here. He will not look like an all-satisfying treasure. And that will not make others glad in God.
If we are exiles and refugees on earth (1 Peter 2:11), and if our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20), and if nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35), and if His steadfast love is better than life (Psalm 63:3), and if all hardship is working for us an eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17), then we will give to the winds our fears and "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). We will count everything as rubbish in comparison with Christ (Philippians 3:7-8). We will "joyfully accept the plundering of our property" for the sake of unpopular acts of mercy (Hebrews 10:34). We will choose "rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin," and we will count "the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt" (Hebrews 11:25-26).
So, as we face the reality that our things (our 401k, our real estate, our jobs) will fail us, let us find great hope and joy in our God and Savior who will NEVER fail us. Let us invest our energy in building up HIS kingdom rather than our own - and reap the eternal rewards rather than the temporal rewards!
Your elder team,
Al Gonnerman, Mario Arindaeng, Tim Badal, Scott Capp, Keith Duff, Jon Pilkington & Ray Prigodich
