Are you afraid of becoming impoverished? Do you find your identity in a certain standard of living? As a Christian, there’s a clear right-or-wrong answer to that question. Yet with the economic policies of the current administration, the response many Christians have had reveal just that. (I am not taking a position about politics or policies, just evaluating the responses that I’ve witnessed.) I’ve heard or read it all, from angry rants on Facebook to extreme doomsday prepping, and I’m pretty sure that those kinds of responses reveal thinking patterns that are far from biblical.
The Myth of Financial Security
Let’s face it: Regardless of economic policy, material wealth holds no guarantees. Oh, sure, we can have insurance and all that, but in the end, life is uncertain. Whatever taxes don’t take, thieves or natural causes might (Matt. 6:19-20). Even if we retain and even gain interest on our investments, they won’t mean anything after our lives here on earth end. The man in Luke 12:17-19 thought he’d made it, but God called him a fool (v. 20). God also calls others fools who follow suit: “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (v. 21).
Any of us could lose everything — including our own lives — at any moment. Now, that’s not cause to worry; Matthew 6:34 & Philippians 4:6 address that sinful pattern. Instead, knowing financial security is a myth can help motivate us to prioritize what God prioritizes. Job understood that and showed his humble devotion to God even when he lost more than possessions; he said, “the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).
The Freedom of Faithfulness
When we trust God to provide for what we truly need—including fulfillment and satisfaction — we’ll be faithful to Him regardless of circumstances. And we’ll be free to respond like Job did when we experience loss or even imminent loss. We’re free to be content, thankful, and joyful, despite financial difficulties (Phil. 4:6, 11; James 1:2).
The kind of trust behind that freedom isn’t picky, though. In Matt.6:9-13 — commonly known as “The Lord’s Prayer” or ”The Model Prayer” — Jesus gives us an example of asking for God to provide for our needs. Praying for our “daily bread” doesn’t mean asking for money to go out to eat or buy expensive clothing, though; it’s praying for the food we need to survive on a day-to-day basis. In fact, James 4:3 explains why some of our prayers are not answered: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”
When we trust God and faithfully serve Him, we are free to obey Him and can expect Him to provide what we truly need (Phil. 4:19).
There’s certainly nothing wrong with having a preference about economic policy, but when matters are decided and we realize that we’ll lose out, let’s show our world how people who hope in Christ should respond.
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