By Sir Kay.
The general tendency of most of us is to panic and get into “conservation mode” when we experience financial turbulence or there is a national or worldwide financial crash. We become very conscious of how our status quo is being disrupted and the feathers of our comfort zones are being ruffled. What we often fail to realise is that all major upsets are opportunities for great resets. For instance, some of the greatest economic and scientific leaps of the last hundred years took place because of the Second World War. The intensity of the conflict constrained nations of the world to find new ways of solving both old and new problems.
As the saying goes, ‘Necessity is the mother of invention.’ Hence
the mindset with which we view major challenges will greatly determine whether we see chances or challenges; possibilities or problems; opportunities or oppositions; whether we panic or find peace.
Finding peace in a financial storm has more to do with our attitude of mind than the severity of the situation.
Anthony Robbins once said, “Every problem is a gift — without problems we would not grow.” This presupposes the necessity of seeing every upset as an opportunity to tap into a new reset, device new ways of doing old business, avoid doing new business in old ways and growing thereby. For every child of God, we should develop the ability to thank God in all things, this will enable us to develop a renewed mind and start seeing open doors where others see only closed doors. “When there is more uncertainty, there is more reward,” says Steven Mason, senior manager at Inquesta, a corporate insolvency specialist. “There are a lot of opportunities” in times of crisis. Adopting this mindset enables us to have peace, believing that God is able to bring something new out of the old.
To bring in a biblical perspective, for every Goliath problem, there is a David solution. But note that David is unconventional. While Saul and his men were busy training in the conventional method to resolve a Goliath problem, God was preparing David in an unconventional method; a method Goliath will not be able to match. Goliath was not able to land a single blow on David; he was dealt a long-range blow, a tactic he was not prepared for. God’s solution can often be unconventional – being open and flexible will go a long way in finding a God-inspired solution to our life’s financial challenge.
In 2 Kings chapter four, we read of a woman in great financial distress approaching Prophet Elisha. We see the prophet asking the woman, “What has thou in the house?”
God asked Moses the same question, ‘What is that you’re holding in your hand?’ When Jesus multiplied food, he used the five loaves and two fishes the disciples had. When Prophet Elisha cured the bareness of the land in Jericho, he asked for a new cruse[1]A small pot or jar and salt inside it. The lesson in all these cases is that God never leaves anyone without a seed: something he can work with. In David’s case, it was a stone and a sling. What do you have that God can work with?
In summary, what is the key to having peace during a financial storm? Firstly, having Jesus in your boat – meaning we should give space for Jesus in all our plans and pursuits. Secondly, believe and have faith that he’s up to the challenge: this will greatly alleviate your fears. Thirdly, ask him for wisdom to adapt and innovate. Be alert, God might be asking, “What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house?” (2Kings 4:2). In all probability, your miracle and the solution to your financial storm is within your grasp.
Other articles in this issue
References
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