When false gods die…

I keep having this recurring daydream where the entire United States economy collapses onto itself and I can no longer afford to buy diapers.

Call it a daymare perhaps.

I know it’s based in fear. It’s certainly not based in trust and commitment to God’s goodness and love. It’s a fear that my security will be ripped from me leaving me powerless to support and care for my family.

Many of our fellow Americans are already living this nightmare.

For them, the nightmare is a reality. Everyday they must wonder how they’re going to make it to the next. Stumbling from one place to another searching for jobs…

Powerless.
Impotent.
Without hope.

Much like the other 90% of the world’s people.

We all know our economy isn’t in great shape – and I think it may be that God is trying to get our attention. We started this nation committed to Him. Somewhere along the line we became obsessed with our own success. Capitalism was allowed to overflow into unrestricted greed. We traded genuine trust in God’s provision with false trust in interest rates and returns on our investments. Why did we need God when we had all this stuff to keep us occupied?

So now He seems to be taking it back.

I’m struck by how similar our feelings are to the people I’ve met in third world countries. For many of them, they have to choose between letting their children die of thirst or giving them water they know will make them sick.

Could you imagine making that choice?

Others literally have no access to food or medicine. There’s no 911 if the child has a seizure. There’s no 911 if a fever spikes too high. There’s often not even any ibuprofen.

Honestly, we’re unbelievably spoiled. We have more material blessing than 90% of the world’s population and we can’t stand that some of it is being taken away.

We fear.

My prayer is that the false god of money dies.
My prayer is that the false god of security dies.
My prayer is that the false god of hope in ourselves dies.

My prayer is that those false gods are replaced with the One True God.

He alone is able to give us everything we need.

But sometimes what we need is not what we want. And in reality – it’s not about us anyways. It’s about Him.

Consider poor Stephen in Acts 6 – 7. Stephen stood up for his faith and was put to death for it. And it wasn’t a kind death. It was a brutal death.

Did God provide for Stephen?

Did He give Stephen everything he needed?

I’m not sure Stephen cared. His last moments were spent literally seeing God in heaven and begging God to forgive his attackers. He doesn’t sound too concerned about his own security.

Would we be willing to do the same concerning our economy? Can we beg God to forgive the very people who tanked it? Can you forgive the poor economic and business decisions that cost you your job?

We have an opportunity right now. We can cast aside these false gods once and for all. We can turn back to the God who gave us all these blessings. We can stop relying on ourselves and return to reliance on Him.

It’s not about you.

Consider this quote from John Piper –

‎”God is most glorified when you are most satisfied in Him in the midst of loss, not prosperity.”

Of course, only you can know whether or not you actually care about God’s glory.