Schools and government agencies are cutting their budgets for the next fiscal year. Stores are closing. Houses aren’t selling. The stock market is staying flat. People are out of work or being cut back in their hours as Oregon’s unemployment rate goes above 12% (second highest in the country). Some are calling this the worst economic crisis in America since the Great Depression of the 1930s. And everybody has an opinion on what we should do about it, how long it will last, and what our economy will look like once we get through this recession.

            For the record: I don’t know how to fix it; I don’t know whether we are starting to recover, are still at the end of the beginning, or only at the beginning of a very long time at the bottom of the trough; and I certainly don’t know what the future holds and what the long range affects will be for our culture and society.

            But what I do know is that God is Lord, Jesus still saves and the Holy Spirit continues to guide! So with that confidence, what can Christians learn about God’s economy during this time of economic uncertainty?

            Well, first, God’s Word on economics is very clear and very simple. Live within your means. Give generously to God’s work and to the needs of others. Trust not in earthly resources which are temporary, nor the plans of man which are flawed. Instead, trust in God who is infinite and whose word is true.

            Second, obedience to God’s Word is proven by how we respond in times of uncertainty, crisis, or trouble. It is easy to tithe off your income when you have a steady job, are careful how you spend, and aren’t deeply in debt. This does not lessen the value of obedience, but we must be honest, that if it isn’t hard to do, then it doesn’t stretch our faith or test us spiritually. Continued obedience to God during difficult times is when we most often see God at work to bless us for our faithfulness in spite of troubles. This is true in the area of money as well as ethics.

            Third, what if you have not been faithful in your giving, or have not learned the discipline of tithing? I would suggest that, rather than this time of difficult economics making it harder to tithe, it actually might be easier, and may be just the window of opportunity many Christians need to get their priorities aligned with God’s.

I say this based on two assumptions. First, that most Christians want to tithe, or at least acknowledge that tithing is commanded by God. Second, for those Christians who don’t tithe, especially those young in their faith, it’s not because they are willfully disobedient, but rather because they have gotten themselves into debt beyond their means, or live on the edge of their income so that giving seems impossible.

            That’s why a time of financial crisis like this is such good news. This is a rare moment when God can clearly teach us His values if we all will open our heart to His Word. Times of economic downturns expose our acceptance of human values when it comes to how we view money. This can be a time, if we seize it, to re-evaluate how we live, where our heart is, and to decide now to become obedient to God’s economy, not the world’s (see Matthew 6:19-21). It is when much is taken away, and we have less to hold on to, that we find we can open our hand to grasp hold of God. When the things of this world have slipped from us, then God’s way and plan become clearer and more understandable.

May we all use this time of economic uncertainty, regardless of our past patterns of giving, to take a hard look into our own heart as we relate to earthly treasures, and evaluate just where our heart really is. If it’s not where you want it to be, God is giving us a clear path to follow Him. God has opened the door. Let’s follow.

Denis Whittet