This was originally published under a different title on March 11, 2009. I thought it was time to bring it back. How much things haven’t changed in the past eleven years. This was true then and is perhaps even more true today. I’m republishing it with only minor editing for readability. (You might even find yourself in the comments.)
Lately I’ve been thinking about all the hullabaloo regarding preparing yourself for the hard times ahead. Preparing for hard times is a good thing. But I wonder how much of the “helpful” information out there about how to prepare is causing people even more stress as they try to find security in every area of their lives they possibly can. And while the information may be good, it is way too easy to get wrapped up in the details and miss the main point.
Everyone says to plant a garden. Great. But if times are bad enough that you need to depend on that garden to get you through, someone else will probably jump the fence at night and take all your hard work. So grow some food if it makes you feel good, but planting a garden isn’t going to make anyone really any more secure.
Get out of the city. The country is safer. Isn’t that what everyone says? Well, that may or may not be the case. But David and I have been praying about the opportunity to live in the country for almost as long as we’ve been married and we’re still stuck in the city. God has answered many of our specific prayers with very specific yeses, but not that one. And I don’t think He is making us stay here because He doesn’t care about us any longer. So maybe the country seems safer, but safe is wherever God wants you to be. The bad guys roam the countryside, too. (Update 2020: We are out of the city now and I’m not going to lie. I’m profoundly thankful.)
Set aside six months or twelve months worth of income. Get out of debt. Blah blah blah. Yes, I know it is good advice. We lived that way, too. And you know what? You can be out of debt, have money in the bank, and try to live by biblical principles and still end up in serious financial straits.
In this day and age, a job loss or medical expenses or unexpected large expenses can wipe you out in weeks, not months. Although it might help you sleep a little better at night knowing you don’t owe anyone any money and that you have a nest egg in the bank, take it from me. It’s really just an illusion of security.
The only security we can truly have as we head into whatever we are currently heading into (and, yes, I think this is a long way from over – and hope I’m wrong) is our faith in God. That’s all we have.
I’m thankful that David and I had already made the decision to live on less and that we’ve already gone through a period of protracted personal economic downturn. I’m glad I have those lessons under my belt. They were hard, but they do make me look at what is going on a bit differently.
You can do everything right and still end up in a mess. You can seek God with every big financial decision you make and still end up broke. You can be out of debt, have a boatload of cash stashed away, and still end up with nothing.
So while it is all fine and good to follow all the advice everyone is giving out right now, don’t miss the most important prep of all.
Strengthen your faith. Cast all your anxieties on Him. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of your faith. Even though the current events can threaten to overwhelm us and cause us much stress and anxiety, they are nothing but a blip in history.
But the lessons of faith that we learn during these times will be with us throughout all eternity.
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Good thoughts, thanks. I like it.
You’re so right. I have had similar thoughts. We should do all we can, but ultimately, it can all evaporate so quickly. Only God is our Rock, our Tower, our Stronghold.
Amen, preach it, sister!!! 😀 I hear a lot of people nowadays saying they are scared about what is happening. We, as believers, should not be scared! God is sovereign; all this is under His control. All this is for our good (to conform us to the image of His Son) and for His glory. We can and must trust in Him and Him only!
Thanks for this great reminder!!
You are a wise woman!
I could not agree more. We have a paid-for home, but it could be swept away
by a tornado this spring. We have good health, but it could be gone in one
phone call from our doctor. We have savings in the bank, but our investments have taken a nose-dive during the past year.
When I was dealing with health issues at age 29, I lived on Peter’s advice to “be anxious for nothing.” It still is the best advice. Or as David wisely said a while ago, concerned about it, yes. Consumed by circumstances, never.
Thanks for your wise words.
David’s Mom
What a WONDERFUL post! This is so true. I feel like God has been teaching me this lately as well. 🙂
I’ve just discovered your blog and love it. Would you mind if I linked to this post on my blog? ❓
Thank you!
I love this post!!!!!!
I agree, if people want to plant gardens or stockpile your pantries, go ahead. Further than that, the proliferation of what I call the “build a bunker” stuff is making me a little annoyed.
I’ll tell you my financial backup plan. If we ever both become unemployed or disabled or if some other catastrophic event occurred, we would probably have to go into foreclosure and let the house go and go and live with my mother in her paid-off, but small home.
We could save and save and save, and there would never be enough money to stay in this house very long, with the mortgage and even the property taxes. In fact, when we retire, we won’t be able to stay here because of the taxes.
I have no financial fears, and I don’t know if that is a good or a bad thing. I attribute this to the fact that I grew up poor, so I know I could make do on very little if I had to. Not that I would like it, but I could do it.
And yes, take this time to strengthen your faith. Best advice you could give.
Thank you for saying this!
Just before Y2K I got a ‘secret’ letter in the mail, telling me how I could order barrels of food that would be delivered under cover of night and would supply me with food for a year. The ‘under cover of night’ was so that my neighbors would not know that we had food and rob us.
The day I turn away a neighbor in need of food is a day I’d rather starve.
Anyway, all I put away were a few bags of peanut M&M’s and some water.
I am scared at times. Thankfully God is bigger than my fear.
Truly, we simply need to listen and obey.
Financially, we are in big trouble. But I’d like to think that in different areas we do have strengths. Money, although helpful, doesn’t come close to touching the treasures we have in Christ.
Thank you.
I enjoyed the post and there is a lot of truth in it. I would only add, that we as children of God must do our part to keep ourselves out of trouble. Thank you.
Finally, someone said it—-you can do everything right, and still have something bad happen to you.
Thank you Sallie. It is so very true. God is not a guarantee of a problem-free life, he is the medicine and the balm that gets us THRU LIFE!
Amen, Sallie!
Judy, I like it, M&M’s and some water will about cover it for me too. 🙂 It is kinda nice to be in the not much to lose so it is hard to worry about it catagory.
Really though, I think a lot of the things that having less money (colectivally as a nation) are making people think about is a good thing, (less debt, gardening, trying not to live beyond your means) but as far as the fear mongering (especially by Christians) Ugg, so unnecessary.
wow, I really liked this post.
*we homeschool too:O) , nice to meet you.
You are all very welcome! And welcome to the new readers/commenters!
Lady in Waiting – I’d be honored if you linked to my post. Thank you!
Thank you!
(I miss your links to thoughtful words on the economy.) I do understand why you stopped…
We lived in Detroit on 9/11 and God still protected. Not that I wanted to live in Detroit at anytime in my life.
I agree with you completely about the garden situation. I’ve thought of the exact same thing.
When we had our first year with no income, we had months worth of money in the bank as well as a good amount of equity in the house (and no debt).
It doesn’t take long without an income to use everything.
God truly is our provider whether we have a gazillion dollars or “five bucks in my billfold”.
Amen!
Thank you for this Sallie.
If we think that we can control world events by wishful thinking then we are playing god. Faith and trust, faith and trust in the one who made the heavens, earth and knitted us in our mother’s womb. Now….do we really have the power to stop/control/change any one else’s behavior! (I’m just as guilty as the next person, ha!)
Birdie
Amen!
I like the point about someone jumping over your fence and taking veggies from your garden! Well, we just had our first snow and I will find out if the frost took my small garden as soon as it warms up…. Gotta trust Him for both the little and big things and the out of control world we live in.
I agree, this is the bottom line. We do our part, but God is our provider. I remember about 20 yrs ago reading David Wilkerson’s bk about an economic downturn. He had lots of good advice, but the end was basically – Trust God – because that’s really the only thing we can do.
I’m facing huge dental expenses that will probably wipe out our savings acct. But that is what a svgs acct is for, so when emergencies come, we don’t have to go into debt. Then, we will begin saving again. But it sucks! I hate having that account wiped out AGAIN!
I think most of us get into debt in our 20s and have to feel that pain. I can still vividly remember those hard times of being soooooo poor, after being fairly well off. So we live very frugally today; the difference is, I FEEL rich, because we are so content with the blessings we do have! Plus, with the debt gone, the pyck is enough. I know though, like you, we can do everything “right” and still end up with a catastrophe, like Job.
Amen and amen, it’s still very true now.
I’ve been reading through your posts on faithful living in difficult times, and they are balm for my soul. This one might be the best medicine so far! Thank you for having the courage to write about this! It’s something you can’t discuss with the “perfect” financial people at church, who have their nest egg in the bank, and their childrens’ post secondary education paid for. I worked on an Oncology floor at a hospital for 15 years, and time and time again, I saw cancer take people in the prime of life. There is no safety net for that. I also wonder how we all have collectively forgotten that this world is passing away, all of the stuff of this world is going to burn anyway, and as you said, our faith is all that will take us through. All that really matters is hearing Him say, “Well done.”
Hi Cheryl,
I’m glad you are finding them helpful! When I was reorganizing things I realized I had a lot of posts under a tag that really should be an entire category.
I think a lot of people are going to discover there is no financial certainty in this life. What is coming is going to crush so many people. I don’t say that with any joy or glee – just an acknowledgement of what is already happening and starting to accelerate.
Sallie