Recession

Outside of the blogging world, there is a single topic dominating the world headlines. The impact is global.. from the US to Europe, to China, and even Africa. People are losing jobs, losing homes, and losing (gasp) their retirement portfolios. The efficient world that we've built is being flipped and cleaned. Luckily, this isnt the first time we've been through a global recession and it wont be the last... there is for us fortunately, a light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. A hope that once the crisis is over, new dreams will be built, new fortunes made, and order once again restored (well for the US at least). Most are saying that this recession, bordering on a depression, rivals the one in the 1930's... and after alls said and done, may even be worse. That may be a bit extreme, but still, the recession is felt by a large amount of people.

John Piper recently did a sermon on the recession and its purposes from God's standpoint and I thought I'd outline some of his points. As most of us are busy reorganizing our financial portfolios, or worried about our employment situation... we forget that there are grander and bigger lessons to be learned from a biblical standpoint. He had 5 points, I'll outline 3 then include some of my thoughts.

1) The recession reveals and sheds light on hidden sins.
-This one is pretty simple. Recessions are good at exposing our greed, our fear, and a multitude of other sins. Quite literally sometimes. For example, the wall street ponzi schemes. Lets put a check mark next to greed. But seriously, even more universally, those of us here in the States know how to get comfortable. Our society has been set up in such a way that there is structure, a rhyme and a reason. And we learn, that within that structure if we work hard and get a little lucky, we can live about as comfortably as possible. Within this world at least. So when a recession hits, a small bit of that structure, calm, and sense of reason gets thrown off. It breaks our self sufficiency and our ability to solve problems, albeit at a small scale. Furthermore, for Christians, it may reveal our lack of dependency on God.

2) The recession sheds light (especially for the western world) on parts of the world that are ALWAYS in mega recession, namely the 3rd world countries.
-Piper uses the phrase, "empathy quotient". A doctor or pastor who have been through and experienced disease are more likely to empathize with another who is also stricken. A loan officer who has been through a bankruptcy is more likely to empathize with the small business owner who needs the loan to survive. Our empathy quotient goes up. Then it is no wonder that as Americans we are for the most part, utterly unable to empathize with 2/3rds of the world that knows no Air Condition, no clean water, and no shower. That reality is so far from us, our supposition of life standards so different. A recession should waken us to the poverty of others around the world.

3) The recession helps relocate the roots of our Joy in HIS grace and not our goods, money, possessions, etc...
-We've heard the story of the frog that jumps out of the boiling hot water instantly... But then when he is put into lukewarm water and gradually boiled alive, he will remain in the water till his death. Sometimes, without an extreme change we forget. Gradually throughout life, we start to depend more on our selves... put our hopes into this worlds, and treasure that which is fleeting. Its usually so subtle that it can go unnoticed for long periods of time. But during a recession, we are reminded of our root of Joy. Those times we've declared, "no matter where you put me, and what circumstance I am in, I will always love you Lord!" Though we are supposed brilliant beings, we forget so easily, and the hearts condition changes so numerously. We are reminded when we have not, that we find all we need in Him.

The Heart

The heart is the most powerful organ in the human body. Even when the mind dies, if the heart pumps, a human body will live. Even beyond the medical purposes of the heart, the functions and influences of the heart go so much deeper. Based on the condition and situation of the heart, the mind will think accordingly. And even with the brains capacity for vast knowledge, he or she will not be convinced of anything unless the heart allows them to be. The condition of a mans heart can also serve to search deeper into his or her soul. When a man cries "there must be more!" it is the heart that serves as the gateway to the soul. It is the heart that stirs such questions to cause someone to search deeper into the meaning of the soul. Hearts are also the central command for the human emotion. Emotions of love and loyalty can cause a person to sacrifice his life for another, the greatest of human sacrifices... while at the same time, emotions of hatred and vengeance can cause one to take a life from another.

With such influence and power, it is then obvious that the heart is also the most common means, the avenue, and the vessel in which God speaks to us. The written words of the bible are simple enough for any common man to understand, yet they are "foolishness to the perishing". Rubish unless God connects first through the heart.

Over time, since the first rebellious act of Adam and Eve, we have built and conditioned our hearts for our own purposes. The heart cannot be instantly preached to like the mind, but over time can be conditioned in a manner that we feel best ensures our needs, survival, and eventual thriving. But this condition that we've created isn't optimal for habitation by someone else. God has known that since we first rebelled that He cannot reach our hearts unless it is first broken. Ultimately, we cannot be saved unless we know that we ARE broken, that we ARE depraved... and ultimately that it is our hearts that are broken. It is during the brokenness of David, chased and pursued, beaten and hopeless that God molds Davids heart to become the man after His very own. And it is during these moments when our hearts are broken, when we realize the disconnect in our lives, that God can and will be most intimate, most relevant, and most powerful in our lives. When we ask for a deeper relationship with Him, when we ask for spiritual growth and understanding, we are also asking for times of brokenness, times of suffering, and times of desperation. That is a key aspect in deep intimacy with God. The bible shows that fresh revelation of the Saviour came to men during times of brokenness even in the midst of rebellion. Job may be the most glaring example, but others like Peter needed to be broken before carrying the torch of building up the modern church. Joshua's faithfulness and intimacy grew in his times of slavery and imprisonment. Saul was stripped of everything and literally crippled before becoming the Apostle Paul, one of the greatest missionaries and teachers in Christian history.

For the redeemed Christian, it is important not to waste times of brokenness and times of suffering. Instead of being defeated by bitterness, self-pity, hardness, or anything else the devil would rather have you do, we must recognize it as times of sanctification. These times present some of the greatest opportunities of growth and revelation as well as an opportunity to raise higher our banner inscribed with His name.

So Finally, how desperate are we for Him... how much value does intimacy with our Lord have to us? How much do we treasure Him in our lives? While salvation is free, the cost of knowing Him for eternity is our lives. Our comforts and hope and dreams. Who welcomes suffering? Who welcomes the "loss" of His or Her life? In the selfish and secular human equation, the cost is so great that the trade isn't worth it unless we receiving in return something that is of infinite value. Something that is greater than the sacrifice. Is Jesus infinitely valuable to us? For the apostle Paul, we know that it was... "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord".

I have always wanted a deeper relationship with Him without the costs. More and more I realize that it just doesn't work that way. But I want to be at a point where I can gladly welcome brokenness and suffering in exchange for intimacy with my Savior. The less I hold on to this world, the easier that becomes.