Global Financial Crisis (GFC)

GFC is spreading and taking hold of nations the way it did throughout history. The advent of the Great Depression was a bleak period and I was lucky to have a conversation with an old church member who attended Ashfield Baptist Church after the war. She revealed to me that even among the uncertainties of men and women, the church was spilling over with people whom were hopeful. However the world has changed and my church is now two-thirds empty, what is a Christian to do? We have an economy to manage and it seems like it’s taking its grip on people’s lives. There are many lessons to be learnt from the GFC. We will discuss the effect of the economy and how it correlates with the bible.

The development of an economy simultaneously developed a culture of acquiring. Acquiring was a form of bartering to exchange possessions but it has developed into greed. Rather than exchanging possessions, we live beyond our means and accumulate assets, stock, fashion trends and other material goods. God said to the rich fool “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:20-21).

The motivation for acquiring goods is to gain happiness. Shoppaholics get a high from spending sprees but the happiness is short lived. When we focus on gaining happiness materialistically, happiness diminishes. For instance, eating one ice cream makes us happy, another ice cream is pushing it, but after the third one we won’t feel as great as we did previously and eventually we don’t want it at all. It won’t make us happy anymore. The bible tells us we should be cautious about the effects of worldly possessions and the way it effects our lives, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)

Contrary to many beliefs of the vast splendors that money provides, money can’t make us secure. Money is very fickle. One day we will have it and in one day it can be gone! In essence, we shouldn’t be putting our trust in money since our trust can also tumble down with it. Instead put your trust in God, for he is in control and he is the source of eternal life.

We are stewards not owners. Our possessions are not ours to keep forever. One day we will perish and so will our possessions. Our possessions shouldn’t be the way of life, for God said “…do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” (Luke 12:29–31)

What should a Christian do during the GFC period?
Read the bible and reorient ourselves
Pray to our dear God
Help someone else. The affluent are inconvenienced, but the poor are crushed in the GFC.

Remember we can’t serve 2 masters “…either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight” (Luke 16:13).

Always put God first.

:)