Have you ever met someone with that infectious can-do attitude? How about that "the sky is falling, I'm giving chicken little a run for his money"? Who do you want to spend time with? Who do you spend time with?
So many industries today have reasons for negativity, layoffs, off-shoring, shaky money markets... All of these make people uncomfortable, nervous and worried. Many pundits (important talkers about stuff) report the sky is falling. It's good for their jobs. Chicken Little, real or not, sells. Should we be buying? Why are we spending our time with Chicken Little?
As a community, as a nation, as a free world we can't afford to buy the fullness of that story. We need to shake it off. Buying Chicken Little isn't about money markets and banks rippling in trouble. It's really about our peace in the midst of a storm. Markets stabilize. In the case of the US, our Congress realized the need to infuse cash and that is taking place.
That infusion made some people more secure. The emotions and feelings of people running stock markets, banks and insurers turned more positive, and they started buying again. And now, everything will continue along the tracks that give us confidence in our nations monetary stability.
So, how do you stay calm in the midst of that storm? The clouds were big and black, banks consolidated quickly in days and weeks that normally would have taken years. Some banks got hit by the economic lightening and were sold in the resulting fire sale. Now the US markets are shaking off the ash and dust, and some of our foreign friends and neighbors are picking up their firefighting equipment, because the storm has moved.
Criticism of how the US is handling and has handled this financial storm, is rippling everywhere. We made decisions, acted on them and are moving forward. So, now many analysts will pull out their pencils, dust off their keyboards and tell us everything we've done wrong and are doing wrong. But, we are going to keep moving forward. In spite of all the talk.
There are still brushfires here. There are many who are personally in the storm and have been for a while. Before the market and bank problems even began, and for multiple reasons. There are so many critics. So many Chicken Little's. Some know our lives and some don't. Many say they would do something else, what we are doing is wrong. But, in spite of all that, do we walk in peace? Do we walk in the calm and joy that is so infectious and can change the minds and hearts of men?
While everything around us may not cooperate, or the storms and complexities of the moment may seem overwhelming, whether hurricanes, destroyed homes, health, troubled financial and housing markets, gas prices, layoffs, offshoring, downsizing, foreclosures and whatever else you can think of, there is peace and joy available.
See, troubles come and go and come again. They have since the beginnning of time. There is a foundation that is stronger than time itself, that no manner of turmoil can shake.
This is where my peace, my joy comes from. It comes from Christ. It comes from the joy of my salvation! My confidence, peace and joy comes from who God is in His word and in me. See, the great mystery is this, God's plan is not for condemnation or judgement, its one of salvation. We feel condemned because of sin.
For some, that self condemnation, is that nagging feeling that follows them around that something just isn't right. For others, it gets down to a dragged down, self-loathing, knowing that something is horribly wrong inside and wishing it could change. God sent His son, Jesus, blameless and without sin, to become sin for us. To take the punishment for our sins. He did this, not so we would continue to live in this horrible loathing of ourselves, waiting for the big stick to bop us, but that we would have life and have it more abundantly!
As a Christian, I can tell you that I walk in the joy of my salvation. I want to share that joy, that peace, this ultimate gift with you. And, as some things in this world get scarier and more troublesome, I want to share Jesus with you, not some wavy, ghosty image, but the Christ, who wants to give you life and joy and peace in the midst of your storms. The Christ who died on the cross for my and your sins, the Christ who wants to live in our hearts and give us true peace and joy, not founded in the things or circumstances around us. He is the one who rose on the third day.
It's simple. It's not rocket science, its not stock and bank analysis. He wants to take all our baggage and carry it for us, to give us rest.
This is the success, calm, peace and joy plan I'm glad I took a long time ago. That if I would speak with my words Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart, that God raised Him from the dead, I would be redeemed and He would come to live in my heart.
After that, walk in the joy of your salvation. Being a Christian isn't about moping around in defeat, its about walking in peace and joy that supersedes our circumstances, even our health, finances or foolishness. Share that peace, that joy with people and you will be giving them something that is stronger than any oil consortium, any financial market any personal or national crisis.
In our weakness, He is strong. 2nd Corinthians 12:9 "And he said to me, 'My grace is enough for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' ...."
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