It's probably no surprise that the news wires just came out with a story that consumer confidence is the lowest it has been in 40 years. The speculation is that the consumer...people like you and I...forsee a deep recession. Forget "Joe the Plumber". We have become a nation of "Joe the Panicky" and "Joanna the Worrier." What is most revealing to me, though, is how much of our "confidence" rises and falls on economic reports. Now, I won't take a dive off into the deep end of naivete. I realize that bills have to be paid and that there are certain things in life that are necessary and it in order for me to have those things, I become a consumer. But, it does seem that our sense of well-being, our sense of being at peace, our sense of "everything's going to be all right" is more oriented around Wall Street then it is around the way of Jesus.
I want a soul-confidence that sustains me even when things seem out of control. I want to live with such a confidence that I am fully aware of what is going on around me - in my world and in my community - that I am not shaken to despair and anxiety. Most of all, I want to live with such confidence that I am not continually distracted by the bad news and the negative news. You see, I think that ends up being the biggest detriment to our spiritual life - our distractability. We get so distracted by the reports of how bad the economy is or how bad it's going to get, that we have no more energy to focus on how God is at work or how God is caring for us. My distracted soul ends up focusing more on those things that should not matter and less on the things that do.
In the Bible, the Psalmist writes: "Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident...I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27:3, 13) For the Psalmist, when the world around him was chaotic, he remained confident. In other words, he made a choice to trust in God even though everything seemed to be going crazy.
What I find to be true for the Psalmist - and then true for me - is that when I choose to trust then I begin to notice God's goodness around me and in my life. I believe this happens because this act of trust in God has a way of focusing my vision. My energies are no longer dissipated by worry and anxiety. Rather, trust in God has a way of focusing me and enabling me to see where God is at work and God's goodness in my life.
Our consumer confidence may be low but our Christian confidence can be high because we can be confident God is still alive. We can be confident that all we need God will provide. We can be confident that God is able to carry us through any adversity we may face. And, we can be confident that God will give us the strength we need. Maybe your consumer confidence will wane...but keep your Christian confidence high...and lifted up...as you look to God.
2 comments:
Soul Confidence can be tough. Through several trials, God remained faithful and true, even when I was pretty much faithless. Through His love and miracles, I began to trust him again. It is this trust and faith that has built my Soul Confidence. I can honestly say I am not worried about our current national situation. I pray about it, ask God to help me make wise financial decisions and show me His way, then I have to be obedient. Am I always obedient? Unfortunately, no, but I keep on trying.
It has bothered me for a long time that we in the U.S. are identified now primarily as “consumers”. We are constantly told by the media that we need to consume more and more to keep the economy going. And then, to add insult to injury, and confirm that we are no longer considered “citizens” of our country and the world, but instead “consumers”, we were told after 9/11 to go to the mall. As to what I believe to be our primary identity, “children of G-d”, that seems to no longer even be part of the general awareness.
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