Is There A Way Out of Your Mess?

We’d almost have to be Chuck Noland on a remote island somewhere (Hint: FEDEX can deliver anywhere) not to be aware of the current economic weather. The list is lengthy: mortgage failures, simultaneous threats of both recession and inflation, the stock market rippling, Social Security and Medicare on the ropes, 80% of workers saying they would seek a different job if they could, more than 1 million Americans losing, changing or gaining a job every month … it’s not difficult for even the stout of heart to get a little queasy. How did this happen? How do we bear it? How do we get off this bus?

The answer is that all of this has happened because of (drum roll, please) … us. We want everything now. We tell ourselves we need everything in the first few years of our careers that most our parents worked their lives to achieve. We’ve been told we can use almost any “legal” means necessary to gain the appearance of success: use credit indiscriminately, buy the most house a lender will approve, “pay” God last (if we can afford it), shirk our debts, never deny ourselves or our children, etc. Because of the emptiness in many people’s lives, we strive to satisfy cravings deep within ourselves that are not caused by lack, but rather longing, due to a God-shaped void. Surely our mantra is that “it’s better to look great than to be great.”

Regardless of what’s happening around us, there is a way to buffer ourselves from what inevitably happens in this world (remember the story of Jacob and the storehouse, Genesis 41-47). God has given us the principles and promises us wisdom if we’ll only ask and have no doubt and take action (James 1:5-8).

The only lasting solution is usually both ineffectively communicated and difficult to grasp because of its simplicity … and the seemingly impossible requirement that we seek the truth about ourselves while we seek to obey and glorify God. Ultimately, too few of us discover that lifelong peace is gained by achieving contentment through discovering who we are as He made us, and then working out the hope that He began within us.  That is a blessing from God. So, how do we know God’s plan for us and how to achieve this peace?

The Bible tells us that we can best understand God by seeking Him first through interpersonal interaction (devotional, prayer, etc.) and studying his personal message to us (His Word). God gave us His Word (scripture) and the Word (Jesus) became flesh so that He could dwell among us. It’s an awesome idea to consider that God’s “Word” came alive so that He would be both real and personal to each of us. Wow, if only we could strive to be like that for our children!

And yet, that’s what God has in store for each of His children (us) who read and obey His precepts (Jeremiah 29:11; 2 Chronicles 16:9a). The concepts are pretty simple: Give, live on less than we make, save for unknown times, pursue the work God made us to do … and teach our children the same. Why? Because living debt-free, doing the work we love, living life to the fullest with our life mate and growing up children of character -- in bondage to no one -- is sooooo much better!  And how do we make this change in our lives? 


It is through praying for strength to discover the Truth within ourselves, commitment to charter and staying the new course as we seek God’s wise counsel through His Word and others He graciously places in our path. God has laid the path for us to follow if we’ll only do so.

I’ll continue offering encouragement for you to do so, and would appreciate any comments or insights you may have. Stay tuned.