Financial Meltdown

According to the Associated Press, “Americans' retirement plans have lost as much as $2 trillion in the past 15 months - about 20 percent of their value”

It really doesn’t matter right now whether we were smart enough to sock away in 401K, benefited from company retirement plans or are locked into Social Security – we’re impacted.

Americans now have the dubious distinction of being able to measure themselves against The Greatest Generation, and not in a virtual world. I guess I don’t appreciate this opportunity as much as I could.

That $2 trillion figure changes the perspective of a $700 billion ‘fix.’ It won’t be enough to return US to financial stability, and it certainly won’t fix the world’s similar problem.

There have been plenty of “October Surprises,” ranging from dusty helicopters, other stock market losses and even missiles in Cuba. I didn’t enjoy living through any of them, either. But, we did so, just as The Greatest Generation lived through The Depression.

It’s just reality. We cannot undo that which was done. We can learn from it, and from people’s reaction to it. And, we can plan ahead.

The first thing we can do is take inventory. Where have we placed our treasure? We had been given instructions long ago:

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:19-21 KJV)

That does not mean we were wrong to plan our finances, for we’ve also been told to be good stewards of all God has given us:

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10 KJV)

I said that I didn’t appreciate this opportunity, but I will not allow it to pass without gaining. I will continue to learn, adjust ministries as God provides – for I know He will, for we are His, and acknowledged for centuries:

The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. (Psalms 24:1 KJV)

For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. (1 Corinthians 10:26 KJV)

Then there’s His ultimate answer:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, (Romans 8:28a KJV)