Faith And The Financial Crisis!

[pinetree]

Hello guys and gals..

Something crossed my mind today…

We all know there will be Christians who will be very affected by the financial crisis.

Some will loose jobs,or maybe their business.They will not be in a present position of being prosperous,to say the least.And that problem could last for them a long time!

We all know faith seems to disregard time and space,and is not bound by natural law,it trumps all!.

Move a mountain,raise the dead,ask and you will receive, etc…

But the circumstance will seem to dictate to some,a financial crisis.

So that raises a question..

What is wrong,,,,does the saint not have enough faith to overcome, if he or she is broke?

Was it Gods will,or are they a victim of circumstance,or a lack of faith?

What do ya think?

What would you say to those who lost all?

To me,I think God allows trials and sufferings,look at the saints that were struck by Katrina.Whole lotta Chrisitians live in the gulf coast region.

 

[Faulty]

Sometimes I think its best that people lose their possessions. As much as it sucks, its easy to become complacent in trusting your things rather in trusting God. We spend more time trying to get that promotion or structuring your retirement accounts to provide for you as you age rather than in learning about trusting God. Getting caught up in the things of life rather than relying on God.

Sometimes those things need to go away so you can re-evaluate what is best for your life. Sucks in the short term but absolutely necessary for the long term condition.

IMHO, continual prosperity is more of a curse than a benefit if the goal is for the prosperity is just to build up a comfort zone with the things that prosperity provides.

 

[mont974x4]

FS certainly brings up a good point about a very real possibility for some to face those tough times. I am of the opinion that most of us are about to face some very tough times. I think that it is possibly because we have been very poor stewards of what God has entrusted to us, we have become just as much borrowers and lenders as those in the world. We have lived on debt and relied on credit for our comfort and to sustain us when, as has been pointed out in the previous posts, we need to be reliant on God for such things and properly handle His provisions.

 

[pinetree]

Good point guys..

Seems like when we have no external security,it teaches us to lean on the God within.


Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

It says "gives us today our daily bread",and smetimes that is all we seem to be able to hope in.

 

[mont974x4]

There is a fine line that most of have a hard time finding between using wisdom to plan ahead (without selfishly hording) and not worrying about tomorrow.

 

[pinetree]

Yup..
I have seen both,highs and lows,darkness and light.

We have all seen stories of those who lost all,yet then God has miraculously provided.

I presently have a clear personal subjective word God spoke to my heart,that he will be with me,and provide.He will sustain my small biz.

But I would never say to all....

That is for you too!

Because the fact is,some will loose all...
But God promises to be with them.

When I had some real lows,others were on highs.If they asked me,why I am not prospering just because they were,that would have produced pain.

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

 

[jeolmstead]

Jesus said:

"In this life you will have trouble"

But he also said" "Seek first the kingdom and all your needs will be added to you"

God will take care of his people one way or another

John O.

 

[Faulty]

It'll be an interesting time for those who have bought into that teaching that salvation = a money gravy train.

We've only been promised our needs, not our wants. Our wants will only be given to us if our wants are the same as God desires for us to have.

 

[pinetree]

Jesus said:

"In this life you will have trouble"

But he also said" "Seek first the kingdom and all your needs will be added to you"

God will take care of his people one way or another

John O.

Good point!

In some of my darkest valleys,I knew even though things were bad,that God was with me,and surely,eventually he led me to green pastures.

It does say here who leads us through both..and David knew God was with him in all...


A psalm of David.

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

 

[mont974x4]

We need to realize God's definition of prosperity is far different than man's definition.

I suspect a great many people are about to suffer a crisis of faith. I wonder if that is a key part in the great falling away we are warned about concerning the end times?

 

[Optimax]

In the situation you mentioned faith if worked will not fail.

Faith will insure that God will open an opportunity.

Maybe another job.

However, the opportunity opened may not be in the same town that one is currently residing in.

May not be the same state either. May require moving to the other side of the country.

Then it is a question of obedience.

 

[mont974x4]

Exercising our faith certainly is a matter of obedience.

Remember a couple of other areas of concern related to the matter in the OP:
1. If a man doesn't work he doesn't eat
2. A man who does not provide for his family is worse than an unbeliever


As to faith, it can be rather funny (as in odd) to watch some people practice faith. A man may say he is praying for a job or provision, and sit and wait for God to drop it in his lap, while another man is praying for a job and provision while actively seeking a job and a source of provision. One is being obedient, the other is a fool.

 

[Optimax]

Exercising our faith certainly is a matter of obedience.

A man may say he is praying for a job or provision, and sit and wait for God to drop it in his lap.

Faith without works is dead.

The works in this case would be doing what the other guy did.

Go look so God can lead to the right job.

 

[mont974x4]

I generally pray like this in such situations:
"Lord, please keep closed the doors You do not want me to even bother messing with."

The change in focus and attitude has brought me and my bride a great deal of peace.

 

[Optimax]

I generally pray like this in such situations:
"Lord, please keep closed the doors You do not want me to even bother messing with."

The change in focus and attitude has brought me and my bride a great deal of peace.

 

[LaffyTaffy]

Immanuel: God with us.

People have far too long tried to make every bad thing that happens to Christians either "the judgement of God" or it's because of "an open door to the enemy".

It rains on the just and on the unjust, on the righteous and unrighteous. Sometimes bad things happen because this is life in a fallen world, and that's just the way it's going to be until Jesus comes back or we die and are changed.

People who have endeavored to do everything right and by the Spirit are having bad things happen to them right now.

Wicked people who don't care about God or His people are having bad things happen to them right now.

To all of it - I say, "it's ok," because sometimes we all need to take a hard look at our priorities. God's still on the throne and He's still God. Money is not.

 

[pinetree]

There is a fine line that most of have a hard time finding between using wisdom to plan ahead (without selfishly hording) and not worrying about tomorrow.

understood,that is true...

 

[pinetree]

Immanuel: God with us.

People have far too long tried to make every bad thing that happens to Christians either "the judgement of God" or it's because of "an open door to the enemy".

It rains on the just and on the unjust, on the righteous and unrighteous. Sometimes bad things happen because this is life in a fallen world, and that's just the way it's going to be until Jesus comes back or we die and are changed.

People who have endeavored to do everything right and by the Spirit are having bad things happen to them right now.

Wicked people who don't care about God or His people are having bad things happen to them right now.

To all of it - I say, "it's ok," because sometimes we all need to take a hard look at our priorities. God's still on the throne and He's still God. Money is not.

Good point,trials come that we cant control,but it doed not mean we lack faith,because things dont match up to what we want,or perceive things should be.

 

[pinetree]

Faith without works is dead.

The works in this case would be doing what the other guy did.

Go look so God can lead to the right job.

Good point.

 

[JimB]

With the stock market plunging like it has since the summer, my wife and I have “lost” a big bundle in our mutual funds. We could panic and get desperate, send out prayer requests, or commit suicide, but we have great “trust” in God that no matter what, whether we win or lose, recover or sink to the bottom, God is with us. We are at peace.

Anyhow, as the market always has, it will rebound over time and this is just temporary, despite 24-hour news reports to the contrary. But, wheter it does or doesn’t, in God we trust.

That is why I believe a more valuable definition/synonym for “faith” is “trust.”

~Jim

The world is composed of givers and takers. ​

The takers may eat better, but the givers sleep better.​

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