In God We Trust

The recent financial crisis on Wall Street has caused more than its share of alarm. In fact, recent polls have shown that over 80 percent of Americans are experiencing tremendous anxiety concerning our economy. It’s hard not to worry when your investments go down the tube. This has certainly been a stressful season.

Just last week, however, a sales clerk gave me a dollar in change. I happened to notice the little inspiring message on the back: “In God We Trust.” Did you realize that your money is a faith statement? There it is in plain sight. In God we trust! Using money is like passing out little gospel pamphlets:

In God We Trust!
In God We Trust!
In God We Trust!
Your wallet’s full of ‘em!

Buy a Dilly Bar at Dairy Queen, and you’re telling the clerk to trust the Lord!

How ironic! We have such a hard time trusting God with our money, when all along our money is telling us that’s exactly what we should do!

It is far better to trust in God than in possessions. Jesus said you cannot serve both God and mammon. If we look to money for security, significance and survival, we will be sadly disappointed.

Why do we believe money buys happiness? It doesn’t.

If we don’t have enough money, we’re afraid we won’t survive. That’s simply not true. We will survive somehow – regardless of the financial situation. I don’t know anybody who stopped surviving because they didn’t have enough money.

In the poorest places I’ve been in my life (Nicaragua, Egypt and Ethiopia ) people still figure out a way to survive. So, it proves to me that the recent downturn on Wall Street isn’t going to do us in.

We might have to cut back a little – but we’re going to survive just fine! We may have to make adjustments, but we’ll make it!
My father had a sign hanging in his office: “The Lord Never Panics.” We should take our money at face value and trust in God! If we do so, we won’t cave in to panic.

Instead of tossing and turning in bed, give your problems to God. He will be up all night anyway!