WithoutWax.tv by Pete Wilson | Tag Archive | financial crisis
Tag Archive - financial crisis

From Jobless to Topless?

As a pastor it’s been interesting to listen to the different stories of how people are dealing with the current financial crisis. I see some people who are completely paralyzed with fear while others are using this as an opportunity to live with a new level of faith.

In the past few days I’ve read a few articles which have detailed how some people are responding.

For instance, THIS ARTICLE on MSNBC suggests some women are choosing to go from jobless to topless. The article states  these desperate measures are becoming more acceptable in this economic downturn.

Employers across the adult entertainment industry say they’re seeing an influx of applications from women who… are attracted by the promise of flexible schedules and fast cash. Many have college degrees and held white-collar jobs until the economy soured.

Then there was THIS ARTICLE last week entitled “Lie, Cheat, Flirt. What people will do to keep a job” in Time magazine. The article stated…

In this market, a job is about the only asset that continues to have value. So, if your livelihood was threatened, how far would you go to hang on to it? Would you lie to your colleagues? Would you flirt with your boss?

Those were some of the questions posed to 1,200 American workers in a new survey conducted by Harris Interactive from Feb. 25-27. Fully 28% of respondents said they would act immorally — including lying or backstabbing — to keep their jobs. The survey was commissioned by Adecco, the world’s largest staffing-solutions company, which oversees 700,000 employees around the world in any given week.

If you haven’t already been tempted to compromise as a result of the financial crisis it’s probably just a matter of time. And while your temptation may not be to go “topless” don’t think that means you’ve escaped temptation.  It would be real easy to simply be judgmental of the obvious compromises around us, but we may all be tempted to …

-Abandon our values to get ahead

-Give less so we can keep more

-Live in fear instead of faith

-Put off being obedient to God’s call on our life

When life seems out of control I think we’re always tempted to compromise our integrity. And while you may lose some money in this crisis whatever you do don’t lose your integrity. You can always make more money but your integrity is hard to recover once it’s gone.

Why I Believe a Financial Crisis is Good

Is there anything good at all about the global financial crisis we’ve been going through? Well, it appears to be going back up and to the right, but even if it doesn’t, I think it provides us a unique opportunity as Christ followers. It pains me to see Christians freaking out just like everyone else. This is our chance to …

Model and Help.

Model.

As Christians this is our chance to step out of the hysterical hype. Does the global financial situation look great right now? NO. But there is no need to panic. Why?

Matthew 6:25-27 reminds us…

25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life]?

This is our chance to model that our faith is not based on the economy.  Our attitude is not shaped by the media. Our decisions are not made based on fear. Paul said said in Philippians 3…

8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.

Help.

While I would never wish these kinds of financial disasters on anyone, I believe it will provide numerous opportunities for the church to step up and be the church. The last two decades have been dominated by materialism and the church has not escaped this.  The driving question has been what can I get? I believe the question will start to change and it will be all about what can I give.

So what questions have you been asking? Have you been asking….

  • What’s happening to MY 401k?
  • What does this mean for MY family?
  • What am I going to have to give up?

or

  • God, how can you use me in this season?
  • How can our church serve people in our community during this crisis?
  • God, how can I model your love and help dispense your grace in these uncertain days?

What do you guys think?