Thriving in Difficult Times
What will 2009 hold for us?
Over the past week I have been keeping an eye on the news.
I am convinced that the media perpetuates a state of fear.
Fear is a wonderful way to keep you tuned in.
I think that the government in the absence of a major war
Perpetuates a state of fear to persuade you and I to accept their
Solutions to exaggerated problems,
at the cost of our money and our freedom.
Fear is a lousy reason to make a major decision.
Yet “fear of what might happen if,”
Seems to be driving most of our political, economic and
dare I say personal decisions.
There’s a lot of doom and gloom rumors floating around.
Global warming
Terrorist Attacks
Economic Collapse
Unemployment rising to 10%
Even our incoming President of hope and change said things
are going to get worse before they get better.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081208/D94UGLMO0.html
Our elected officials want to raise our taxes to throw good money
after bad.
Meanwhile we are still faced with the rising cost of health care,
Ever rising consumer prices, notice an increase in your
grocery bill lately.
Gas prices are down,
I doubt if they will stay under $2.00 a gallon for
long.
Your utilities cost are rising.
I used less energy this Dec than in Dec 07
And I’m paying more for less.
And how many “going out of business signs”
have you seen?”
In California we still have an immigration problem,
We still have an education problem,
we have a budget problem,
with no leadership to a solution.
What will 2009 bring?
Sounds like difficult times.
So let’s take a look at how to thrive in difficult times.
Difficult times are nothing new for believers.
I know that there are a lot of people who believe that if you are living
a good Christian life you will be healthy and wealthy.
But I know of far too many believers who are in difficult
Financial circumstances,
saints of God who are afflicted with disease,
to give credence into any material prosperity
teaching.
Jesus said that we would face tough times.
John 16:33 (NIV)
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
Maybe 2009 will be a time of trouble.
If it is the best way to thrive in a difficult times is
be prepared
be Proactive,
be prosperous.
BE PREPARED
You prepare to thrive in difficult times by staying connected with God.
Jesus tells us flat out—if you are going to thrive in difficult times you
need him.
John 15:4-7 (NLT)
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me.
"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.
But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!
Difficult times become worse when a believer thinks:
“Apart from God, I can do some things.”
Jesus says: “Apart from me you can do nothing.”
How do you stay connected to God?
To stay connected to God you must practice the spiritual disciplines:
Bible study, prayer, fellowship, service, worship, obedience and
contemplation.
It’s is through the daily practices of the disciplines that the Holy Spirit will
guide you into all truth,
guiding you into making the right decisions.
Now is the time to connect and stay connected with God
You prepare to thrive in difficult times by exercising your faith.
The Prophet Jeremiah tells us of his faith in the midst of incredibly
difficult times.
Lamentations 3:19-36 (MSG)
I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember— the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left. God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It's a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. It's a good thing when you're young to stick it out through the hard times. When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face. The "worst" is never the worst. Why? Because the Master won't ever walk out and fail to return. If he works severely, he also works tenderly. His stockpiles of loyal love are immense. He takes no pleasure in making life hard, in throwing roadblocks in the way: Stomping down hard on luckless prisoners, Refusing justice to victims in the court of High God, Tampering with evidence— the Master does not approve of such things.
Faith: trust and confidence that moves us to action.
Faith breeds hope.
When there is hope in the future there is power in the present.
God knows what’s going on, God is aware of what you are going through,
He will not forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Right now get connected and stay connected to God.
Right now exercise faith that breeds hope.
You prepare for difficult times by having a plan.
You have a hunch that things are going to get difficult economically
Now you can procrastinate,
which is just the ole ostrich solution to a problems,
stick your head in the sand and hope the problems go
away.
[Ostrich’s don’t really do that do they?]
Or you can begin working a plan.
Here’s some basic wisdom.
1. Get out of debt.
2. Downsize your expenses so you can save at least 10% of you
income.
The experts say you need a financial safety net of a
minimum of 3 months expenses saved.
Most of us live pay check to pay check so that goal
sounds astronomical.
But you have to start.
3. Sell the stuff you don’t need.
4. Don’t buy at retail prices.
5. Pay off your credit cards at the end of each month.
Create and work a plan to deal with tough economic times.
Don’t wait.
Proverbs 6:6-11 (MSG)
You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do. All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest!
The best way to thrive in difficult times is to be prepared
Stay connected with God,
The hardest time to connect to God is during the good times.
But do it now.
Exercise your faith to cultivate a listening ear and ready obedience.
When the difficult days arrive you will feel confident in your
relationship with God,
instead of paralyzing fear there will be
empowering hope.
Plan for the problem, work now toward its solution.
The best way to thrive in a difficult times is to be prepared and to
BE PROACTIVE
When crazy stuff happens you can be reactive or proactive.
Reactive means that the event determines your behavior.
Proactive means that your behavior is determined before the event.
Now its really hard to predict what you need to do before something happens
or doesn’t happen.
Tomorrow is an unknown.
But If difficult days are ahead you can be proactive by
establishing and maintain a right attitude
The guy who used to pastor the Skyline Wesleyan church in San Diego
Wrote: Your attitude determines your altitude.
Bad attitude, and you’re a dirt diver.
Good attitude, and you’re a flyer.
What is an attitude?
Attitude is created by thoughts that generate an inward feeling
which is expressed by outward behavior.
Some one accuses your of a bad attitude it means that they are
suggesting that you change the way you are thinking about the
situation you find yourself in.
Sometimes you have no control over what happens to you,
But you have control of what happens in you.
Today be proactive, cultivate the right attitude.
Here’s the right attitude for difficult times:
Philippians 4:13 (NLT)
For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.
The best way to thrive in difficult times is to be prepared
Be proactive,
Develop that “can do” attitude.
The attitude of an overcomer.
The attitude of a warrior.
And then Be prosperous
BE PROSPEROUS
Whatever is successful, flourishing, or thriving is prosperous.
Jesus’s idea about prosperity is not the like the worlds idea.
Jesus’s concept is relational.
The world’s concept is material.
If you want to thrive during difficult times you need to commit
yourself to Jesus’ idea of prosperity.
Luke 6:38 (MSG)
Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity."
In difficult times: give yourself away to others.
Give others your love.
Give others your mercy
Give others your compassion
Give others your commitment.
The tendency in difficult times is to horde.
But the way to prosper through the difficult times is to be
generous with what you have.
Generosity is the key to prosperity.
During the time of the Apostles,
most believers were not prosperous in a worldly sense.
Most believers were not financially well off.
They were living in difficult times.
Yet they prospered relationally.
Acts 2:42-47 (MSG)
They committed
themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal,
and the prayers.
Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the
apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything
in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each
person's need was met. They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple
followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as
they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number
grew as God added those who were saved.
In public worship like we have here at HBCC,
And in private gatherings, like we have in our home groups.
Those first believers
Devoted themselves to the Christian lifestyle.
Devoted themselves to caring for each other
Devoted themselves to prayer.
The result was celebration, exuberance and joy in the midst of a
difficult time.
Spiritual prosperity.
Rich in relationships
And because it was real it was attractive.
When others saw it, they wanted to get in on it.
What did others see?
They saw believers generous in Love, mercy, compassion, and
commitment, to one another.
They saw people prospering relationally in difficult
times.
They say people pooling their resources
Proverbs 11:25 (NIV)
A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
The best way to thrive in difficult times is to be prepared
Be proactive,
And then Be prosperous by
Devoting yourself to living the Christian lifestyle
Devoting yourself to caring for others.
Devoting yourself to prayer.
Devoting yourself to the group.
What’s in store for you in 2009?
How about thriving beyond your wildest expectations because
You chose to prepare,
you chose to be proactive,
you chose to be prosperous.