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Upside Living in a Downside Economy
MIKE SLAUGHTER
ABINGDON PRESS
Nashville, Tennessee
UPSIDE LIVING IN A DOWNSIDE ECONOMY
Copyright © 2009 by Michael Slaughter
All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission can be addressed to Abingdon Press, P.O. Box 801, 201 Eighth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37202-0801, or e-mailed to [email protected].
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Slaughter, Michael.
Living upside in a downside economy / Michael B. Slaughter.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-4267-0305-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Economics--Religious aspects--Christianity. 2. Finance, Personal--Religious aspects--Christianity.
I. Title.
BR115.E3S57 2009
241'.68--dc22
2009008705
All Scripture quotations unless noted otherwise are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
Scripture marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked (KJV) are taken from the King James or Authorized Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Please note, italics have been added for emphasis to some Scripture quotations by the author.
09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18—10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Introduction
1. Seeking God's Perspective
2. Rebalancing Life Investments
3. Do It Today
4. Investing in God's Future Harvest
We have an incredible God who cares about the little details in our lives. One of the mistakes people often make is that they think God cares mostly about "later," as in eternity. But God also cares about the success of God's children in this life. The Greek word sozo, which we translate "salvation," means "wellness." God desires wellness in every area of our lives.
Not long ago I received my 401(k) statement in the mail. As a pastor, I am self-employed. So I have no pension apart from Social Security and what I can do in my 401(k), in which I have been investing since 1972. I was a little afraid to open the statement. All I can say is that what I saw was ugly. I realized that the statement was only through the end of September and did not even include what have been, to date, the worst months in the history of the stock market.
Perhaps you have had a similar experience in recent months. Our response to the current financial crisis tends to be reactive, coming out of the twin emotions of fear and worry. Yet we must remember that those emotions are not logical. No matter what industry does, there is only one thing that can create a downturn in the stock market, and that is fear and worry. Unfortunately, it seems there is plenty of that to go around these days.
The current financial crisis is impacting every age group.Twenty-five- to thirty-four-year-olds hold the second highest rate of bankruptcy. Baby-boomers, who are now fifty-six to sixty-five years old—years that should be a critical saving time—are continuing to live like Americans with a negative savings rate. Those of us who are in this age range continue to spend more than we earn. The average baby-boomer has over $40,000 in consumer debt, and that does not include a home mortgage.
Not only is this current crisis combining with poor money habits to create the toxic emotions of fear and worry, but it also is a source of incredible conflict in relationships. Studies show that more than half of all divorces are the result of financial tension.
Don't just believe what God says in the Bible; trust what God says, and then put it into practice!
My aim in this book is to help all of us live beyond these challenging circumstances and experience the abundant life for which God created us. I want to challenge followers of Christ to be a redemptive influence in the world through our own biblical priorities and practices, so that we could be a community offering hope in the lives of others during this turbulent economic time. In each chapter we will look at a passage from the Book of James, a book of practical, applicable faith for hard times. The New Testament churches to whom James wrote were dealing
with harsh economic conditions as well as severe persecution. James' teaching is applicable today in learning how to live above our situations as well.
I challenge you to make a commitment to action. Don't just believe what God says in the Bible; trust what God says, and then put it into practice! I am passionately convinced that you can live upside in a downside economy when you put your faith into action by practicing the timeless biblical principles addressed in this book.
