We’ve heard it so many times that it’s almost cliché.
The sad thing is that it’s true.
If you don’t believe me, try buying iceberg lettuce or refuelling your car.
When people talk about the highest inflation in 40 years, looming global recession, war, supply chain shortages, global food crisis, and rising fuel prices, it certainly sounds like we’re facing a dire future, at least in the short term.
Many people — and I include myself in this — have not experienced much hardship at all.
We have lived our entire lives in a time of unprecedented wealth and security.
Many of us — and again I include myself — have come to take the good life for granted.
We have come to expect that we can go to sleep each night with a full belly, heat our houses, pay our power bills, clothe our children, provide for the needs of our families, and still have a few dollars left for some of life’s little pleasures.
These are not bad things to want, but we also need to recognise that this experience of life is far from normal for most of the world’s population.
Nor is it healthy when we take it for granted.
Being thankful for what you have is an important part of being happy in this life.
It’s one of the reasons that people who don’t have great wealth can still be happy and content with the little they have.
It also isn’t healthy when we look to our wealth as a source of hope and security.
I have a bank note from 1920s Germany valued 5 trillion Marks.
It looks impressive, but it was printed at a time of extraordinary inflation and was worth little more than US$1.
It reminds me exactly how fickle wealth is, and why I should not put my hope and security in things that are fleeting, but in what it is truly dependable.
In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches his followers not to despair over things like food and clothing: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
It’s natural for us to worry about our wealth and material security, but it won’t necessarily help us.
We can only do so much, and the rest is largely out of our control.
We can literally worry ourselves to an early grave if we aren’t careful.
Of greater value, Jesus is saying, is to concern ourselves with our eternal security, and our relationship with God.
God is watching over us in this life, and eternity is entirely in his hands.
When we find ourselves facing difficult times, the best thing we can do is commend ourselves to God’s care and trust in his mercy to see us through.
— Pastor Matthias Prenzler, Trinity Lutheran Church, Echuca
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