Trust God to Help You Through the Recession
Bible Scripture Can Uplift and Comfort You During Difficult Times
Feb 2, 2009
"Being content in any and every situation,” as advised by Paul the apostle, is one of the greatest challenges people face during difficult times, according to Dan Busby, acting president of the ECFA. It is especially challenging for those who recently lost homes, jobs and most or all of their retirement savings. The key to finding that contentment, Busby said, is to trust and depend on God.
“Depending on God is one of the most important concepts in the Bible,” Busby said, adding that many people find comfort in passages such as Philippians 4:19 or John 14:1. The Philippians verse assures readers that God will meet all their needs, while John writes that Christians should put their trust in God and not let their hearts be troubled. “Be content and be assured that God owns it all,” Busby said.
Find Comfort in Bible Scripture
Hebrews 13:5 tells Christians to keep their lives free from the love of money and be content because "Never will [God] leave you; never will [God] forsake you."
Because of these promises found in Bible Scripture, the economic recession can actually be a time for celebration and for counting blessings, Busby said. "Christians can rejoice because their security is in God, not in their bank accounts," he explained. "This could be one of the best times for Christians. It will give witness to the power of God in our lives."
A recent survey conducted by Tearfund, a Christian charity in the UK, concluded that church attendance has increased 5 percent since last year, which means that more people are turning to God and looking to Him to provide safety and security. "If anything, it appears that church attendance is stronger than it was prior to the economic decline," Busby said. "That indicates that people are perhaps looking to the church for spiritual health during these difficult times."
Trust God, and Follow His Will
The "downfall of Wall Street," according to Busby, was due in part to an increase in greed and love of material possessions. To reverse that trend, Busby said it is important for people to trust God and start following His will–not their own.
"Christians need to trust God and follow His heart," Busby said. "It is our calling to be generous in all things and in all areas of our lives."
Busby admits that most people will be advised to reduce charitable contributions, especially if their own earnings have decreased. "In a time like this, it's more important to open the storehouse and provide extra help to those who are struggling," he said. "It's clearly a time to be generous, and there are several Biblical verses, such as 2 Corinthians 9:11, Luke 6:23 and Luke 12:21, that I think would support that position."
In addition to helping individuals, it is also important to help the foundations and church programs that provide shelter, food and necessities to those in need. "The supply of church funds [to help those who are suffering] is very inadequate to satisfy the needs of most people," Busby said.
On the other hand, those in need should not be afraid to ask for help. "When we ask for God's help and He provides that help, we should accept it in gratitude," Busby said. "While it might be difficult for folks to accept help, they should simply look at it as God's provision."
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