Are you scared?

I saw it in a headline a few days ago:  “Scary economic times teach hard lessons about fiscal responsibility.”

I’ve heard and overheard it in multiple ways since then, and even two or three different times today, “I know I shouldn’t be, but I’m afraid of (fill in the blank:) the economy, the presidential race, the war…”

Without question, there is great uncertainty about our future.  Will there be a paycheck in six months?  Or any jobs that I’m qualified to do?  What will be the implications from the election’s results?  Will my child come home from overseas?  Will I have a retirement fund when I am ready to retire?  Do I need to go back to work?

What are some Biblical responses to these apprehensions?

• Don’t desire wealth. It’s a snare and does not provide the eternal hope and reward that too many hope it will.
• Believe in the value of suffering.  Suffering offers opportunities to minister the gospel to newly receptive ears, instructing them that there is a treasure given in Christ that is greater than what is lost; suffering purifies and cleanses the church as those who are not genuinely part of the church become unwilling to suffer for Christ; suffering offers opportunities to be the example of a Job who loves God regardless of loss. [Aside:  I just found this afternoon a very recent series by D. A. Carson — “Making Sense of Suffering” — that I believe will be very helpful, though I have not yet had opportunity to even begin listening to it.]
• Understand that, generally speaking, the kind of economic loss most Americans might suffer is not suffering.  There is an economic loss that comes because of faith in Christ that is considered suffering.  What appears to be in its initial stages now is the kind of trouble that all men know and that offers up opportunities to be joyful in Christ.
• Do not be controlled by fear.  Fifty-eight times Scripture says “do not fear.”  Many more times it says, “be at peace.”  Not fearing and being at peace are not emotions that “happen to us;” they are volitional choices and the consequences of obedient trusting in God.  [Remember that love of Christ removes fear of the world.]
• Trust God.  He is loving and desires to do what is best for His own.  He is wise and knows what is best for His own.  He is sovereign and able to do what is best.  You can trust Him.
• Recognize that America has been privileged for three centuries; the freedoms and lack of persecution we have experienced have been extraordinarily abnormal.  Never in the history of the world has one nation offered such freedom for so long to followers of Christ.  This is not the norm for the believer; we should not believe that freedom from suffering is our right.  It is not.

In summary, the introductory words to John Piper’s new booklet “Rethinking Retirement” (available on our book cart!) seem to be appropriate:

Finishing life to the glory of Christ means finishing life in a way that makes Christ look glorious.  It means living and dying in a way that shows Christ to be the all-satisfying Treasure that he is.  So it would include, for example, not living in ways that make this world look like your treasure.  Which means that most of the suggestions that this world offers us for our retirement years are bad ideas.  They call us to live in ways that would make this world look like our treasure.  And when that happens, Jesus is belittled.