Interest rates are almost triple where they were just a little over a year ago. The prices of goods have skyrocketed over the past two years. Two major banks have failed in the past week. As of December 2022, the US Debt to GDP ratio is 129. That means, for every dollar of goods and services we produce in the United States, the government owes $1.29 in debt.
Imagine you make $100,000 per year, and you have $129,000 in non-asset debt obligations. (Not including mortgage, car, etc.) That is the United States right now.
You can’t turn on the TV or radio without hearing bad economic news; and it is impacting our businesses. Sales are down, because customers’ buying power isn’t what it used to be. And what sales we make come with a much lower profit margin, due to rising cost of goods sold.
It makes me long for the days when our biggest worry was, “Who shot JR?”
MAYBE …
We just haven’t been praying hard enough about this. Surely, if we just asked God to improve our situation, He would get right on that. That’s what God is for, right? You would think that, if we just clearly articulated the situation here, and asked Him to fix it, He would do it. We’re good Christians, and we deserve to live lives of smooth sailing on the world’s rough seas.
Those who know me, know that I love quotes. And one that is apropos to times like these is from one of my favorite presidents – John F Kennedy. He said, “Do not pray to have easier lives; Pray to be stronger men.”
Our focus this month …
Psalm 55:22 ~ Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
I know. That’s what you’ve been doing, and He hasn’t removed those barriers standing in the way of your success … of your happiness. For days … months … maybe even years … you have been praying for God to remove these hardships so you will have a better life … a less stressful life.
Fire Strengthens Steel
Swords are made from steel. Iron is heated in fire until it is yellow. (Approximately 2,100 – 2,500 degrees F) When it is in this malleable state, it is pounded into shape using a hammer on an anvil. Just as the steel begins to cool, it is thrust back into the fire to ready it for yet more blows. This process is repeated, over and over, until the desired shape takes place, and then it is heated and cooled a few more times.
Steel that has been forged and tempered in this manner renders it ready for the fiercest battle imaginable.
Have you ever considered …
You may be going through your current struggles, so that you will be better prepared for greater adversity in the future. The battles you face now, may be the fire, hammer and anvil that will shape you into the warrior you need to be to conquer your fiercest battle yet.
It is difficult to do at first, but instead of asking God to remove the troubles from your life, ask Him to make you a stronger person who is better able to handle life’s difficulties. Ask God, not to remove you from the battle, but rather to make you to into the warrior you must become to fight the next battle.
Your troubles will not ever go away. They only get bigger. However, this simple shift in mindset will transform you from being a victim into a victor.