Thankful?

Our pastor's sermon a few weeks ago had to do with the recession, mainly how it could be a good thing. Could this be possible?

Actually, it can. In the Old Testament, God repeatedly warned the people before they entered a time or place of prosperity to resist the temptation to let it rule them. And time after time the people turned from God, causing Him to be forced to take their idols from them.

So for a little perspective, consider this--according to a survey of expenditures in the late 1980s and early1990s, Americans spent:
~ twice as much on cut flowers as overseas Protestant ministries
~ twice as much on women's sheer hosiery
~ 5 times as much on pets
~ 17 times as much on diets & diet-related products
~ 20 times as much on sports actvities
~ 26 times as much on soft drings
~ 140 times as much on legalized gambling
~ yet American Christians only gave slightly more to charitable organizations than other Christians, considering family income
~ Also, only 5% of the world's population has ever logged on to the internet, and 500 million workers are unable to keep their families above the $1 povery line.
(And that was in the early 90s--consider how much more we spend on these things now.)

Basically, America has learned to determine what is "normal" based on circumstances that are highly "unnormal." We're obsessed with getting more and are never satisfied. Our pastor said that all of the businesses in the world would fail if an epidemic of contentment broke out, and it's true.

But the hard question that we as a church are asked is, "Have you been praying for a revival in this nation?" Hopefully so. But if that is the case, maybe we are getting exactly what we asked for. In order for God to turn the hearts of His people back to Himself, he must remove their idols. What are America's idols? You guessed it--money, possessions, wealth. What better way to get our attention that to take away what we've been putting our trust and hope in as opposed to the One who deserves it?

Going through Hurricane Katrina was a unique experience, to say the least. But in the end, the city of New Orleans prospered because of it--spiritually speaking. Even today, the city has never been more open to receiving help and to talking about spiritual matters. Enduring a devastating loss of material possessions brings you to a place where openness and humility can occur. Our nation is now approaching that same "place" and a time when people are willing to try anything and will reassess what they've been putting their trust in, realizing that money may not always be there...but God will. Maybe this time of economic turmoil is exactly what we need as a nation. But Christians must take this opportunity rather than just letting it pass us by.

So am I really thankful for the recession? Not always, but I definitely realize that we have been given a great opportunity for growth and revival in our own personal lives and also as a nation. So now, the only question left to ask is, what are we going to do with this opportunity? Better yet, what are you going to do? . . .