The Economy and the Kingdom

Most if not all of us have been impacted in some way by the recent economic turmoil, the immediate reaction is to withdraw, store up, save and maybe freak out a little.

Emotionally I found myself withdrawing, you know, you try to maintain some semblance of hope on the outside but inside you're all panic and worry, I have found my sleep being affected and when I went to the Lord to pray about it He told me I was not trusting Him.

Wow!

What he said was "If you trusted me you would be able to sleep thru this storm"...

But there I was in the boat saying (actually whining) "Don't you care that we perish?"

Thats not a very good way to approach the Lord (especially considering that if He wanted he could wipe out poverty with a word).

But I'm just being honest.

My response has been less than hopeful and really sort of depressing...it has caught up to me in my sleep cycle in not being able to go to sleep at a reasonable hour.

So my new new years resolution is to be positive in what I say about my personal finances and then to be an example of giving to the flock I am part of.

Interesting enough the current trend in Churches across the country shows a marked decline in giving, nearly 20% down from last year across the board...this is not good.

You will never enter Kingdom Finances as a stingy person.

God LOVES a cheerful giver.

God...

LOVES...


A...

CHEERFUL....


Giver.

So I am giving more.

Gave away my best guitar.

Gave away my favorite sweater.

Have decided to make my worship songs available for free once I figure out how to host them online...

Gave away an expensive compressor (a piece of audio gear)...

Gave away my digital camera, gave away my time rebuilding a computer, give gave going to do more...

Will it change anything?

I don't really care, and I don't list this stuff as some sort of "pat me on the back" it has been a process where I reluctantly trust by giving up...man I did not want to give Bob that guitar, I loved the way it sounded, but I know in my heart that this was Gods will, and it will mean more to Bob than it will to me, it is a seed of creativity and a demonstration of Gods belief that Bob is called as a creative worship leader and he should have the best...and based on that...man I can get behind that sort of giving.

I've taught my kids that we serve because we are servants, not because we are trying to get position or get anything out of it...we serve based on our identity as servants to the ultimate One, and likewise we give because we are givers...not to get something back, or to "save our own finances" or any other reason...the Kingdom is about what people are not about what they do.

We are new creatures, part of another Government that rules over all...and the Nature of our King is this:

"For God so loved the world that He GAVE...."

Who cares what happens to the economy, when you are part of something bigger?

Our primary concern over the economy should be on how to help people who are freaking out, not to freak out ourselves.

I've needed to repent...Jesus reminded me awhile back that it is impossible to be a believer in Him without faith...if you are a believer then faith mus be part of your daily existence, man I'm not sure I like that but its the truth.

As believers we need to not only be givers but find ways to develop kingdom products/attitudes and business practices...ultimately only one solution will bail out the economy and that's not more spending...its more kingdom.