Scripture: Matthew 6:19-34

It was Thursday morning.  I was driving to church and was, as usual, listening to Morning Edition on National Public Radio.  As it has been almost daily for a year and half, one of the lead stories was on the economy.  On this particular morning, I think the news was suppose to be good because, according to the report, economic analysts the recession is now showing signs of turning around. 

Now, if they had ended the report at that point, it would have been good news.  But, they didn’t . . . and it wasn’t!  The reporter went on to say that in the month of July 4,000 more unemployment claims were filed than projected.  The national foreclosure rate is hovering around 1 in 348 which, by the way, is up from 1 in 398 in May.  In California, however, one out of every thirty four homes is in some stage of foreclosure!  If that statistic isn’t alarming enough, housing analysts are predicting another three to four years before the market finally turns around.  And, by the way, consumer spending for the month of July continued spiraling downward. 

Let’s be realistic.  When 76% of all adult Americans are one paycheck away from being bankrupt it is going to take more than a few well meaning government programs to bail us out.  (The Capital Journal, June 14, 2009)

So, what is the answer?  What are we suppose to do?  Should we spend, or are we should we save?  Are we suppose to hoard what we have in preparation for the worst, or continue to give like there is no crisis?  How are we suppose to feel when even the apparent “good news” turns out to be bad?  How are we suppose to react when it is our job, our company, our investments that tank?

The simple truth is, there are no easy answers or short-term solutions.  This current economic crisis has been festering and growing since the end of the end of World War II.  So, the only real solutions are long-term and call for major shifts in the way we think, live, work, and relate.  But, what do we do in the meantime?  How do we get from point A to point B when our days are filled with gloom and doom?  We’re worried as we well should be.

Or, then again, should we be worried?  Concerned, yes, but worried?  What has worrying ever accomplished besides giving us bad attitudes, ulcers, and heart disease?  As one theologian so eloquently staed, Worry is prayer to the wrong god.  We think by worrying we are focusing on the problem and doing something about it.  But researches have shown that worrying puts our minds into obsessive, negative thinking.

When we discovered that Micheal was either going to lose his job or have his hours severely reduced, we experienced all the emotions that go along with such a loss.  There was anger, disbelief, panic, fear, worry, and even some depression.  Needless to say, we were obsessed with the problem.  It dominated our thoughts and controlled our relationship.  Yet, nothing constructive came out of it.  We were simply spinning our wheels and getting nowhere fast.  Our only consultation was that we had theoretically set up our original budget so we could live on one income.  But when theory became reality it was an entirely different matter.

After a few weeks, however, we began to let God back in the equation.  When we finally stopped whining, bargaining and worrying it was amazing what happened!  In today’s Gospel lesson Jesus hammers home the point that we can either trust money, or we can trust God.  The problem is that, regardless of how much money we have, it will always be limited.  God, on the other hand, operates out of a theory of abundance.  Therefore, if we begin to re-organize our lives so they come back into alignment with God’s will, the possibilities become endless.

Don’t get me wrong, taking our possessions out of clay jars and placing them in God’s hands didn’t remedy our particular problem.  There have still been weeks when the bills exceeded our income.  We still have to decide if a purchase is so pressing we need to take it out of our savings.  In addition to the challenges, however, have come unexpected joys.  By trusting God rather than fearing the situation, we have learned a new way of acting and reacting.  Finances might be tight, but our happiness . . . our contentment . . . is unlimited.  We can live on a lot less because we know we are incredibly blessed. 

Christians, there is no reason to worry about tomorrow.  If we decided right now to live according the rules of God’s kingdom, then even in the worst of times there would be enough.  Why?  Would God suddenly add to our checking accounts and multiply our groceries?  Of course not!  But what God is prepared to do is to show us the right answers so our decisions can be wise, our actions gracious, and our needs simple.  And in the end we will understand that our happiness does not lie in the possession of money; it lies, instead, in the joy of serving others in the name of Christ.

So, friends, if your credit cards are full but your life feels empty; if your closet is filled with beautiful clothes but your soul feels dark and ugly; or if you happen to be one paycheck away from disaster don’t worry.  Trust God, instead.  And although the problems will still have to be faced and the difficult decisions will have to be made, in the end you will learn what your heart already knows.  Through Christ you are blessed.  Claim the blessing and enjoy the rest.

o God be the Glory.