Living Rich in a recession

I have been asking myself, “how am I going to live in this time of recession?”

I’ve decided I’m going to Live Rich.  Does that mean I am going to have a pocketful of money, increase my real estate holdings and get ready for a me-centered retirement?  Is that REALLY living rich?

You look back at the great depression and see the food lines,  you hear the stories of the people who lost their money and took their lives, the families that fell apart.  Conversely, you hear stories of people who thrived, grew in their abilities and relationships, kids (who are now great grandparents) who remember richness in their lives rather than poverty because of the attitudes of their parents, the strength of their relationships and personal sense of community.

Richness has nothing to do with economy but rather with a state of the heart and the hand. A new paradigm that it is  God who directs your heart and with His bounty, He alone fills your hand.

The scripture confirms this truth in 1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”

Wow, that is fairly concise.  “don’t put your hope in your wealth, it is uncertain, (no kidding),  put your hope in GOD who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.“  What does that mean to me, or to you?

I decided to review my assets:

• My husband loves me
• My body is healthy
• My children and grandchildren are healthy
• I have rich, vibrant relationships
• I have many skills and abilities that are a blessing to me, my family and the world at large

I guess that all equals one thing; I am RICH!  Regardless of my economic state, I have assets that are of great value and much more secure than stocks and bonds, certainly more secure than any job or career, I am Rich!

Phil and I discussed this and agree, we must live out of our richness, not the bleak outlook of the world economic picture which has been referred to as an economic experiment.  Rather than be a victim of the results of the great economic experiment, we will begin an experiment of our own, a Divine Experiment, an experiment in Living Rich.

Then we must respond to the rest of the scripture; “put my hope in God who gives us all things richly for our enjoyment”. Our lives must reflect this, we must look for the things He gives us for enjoyment!

“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” We can do this….we have skills and insights others need.  We both know how to cook, to teach, to inspire others to a different life view we both have many skills and abilities to benefit the world.

How shall we do this? On days when we don’t have work, we will ask God for someone to serve, a place to invest the richness God has given us in others.  Yesterday Celeste invested in a young mother who desperately wants to feed her family good food to improve the health of her disabled children.  Today Phil called a brother in the Lord and spent time with him encouraging him through difficulty.

What other opportunities can we find this week as we have extra time?  What exciting opportunities will God bring our way if we report to Him for our work-duty?

Join the Living Rich Experiment!

How about you?  Some of you reading this blog don’t have work or you have less work than you even need to survive.  What can you give out of the richness of talent, experience, skill that God has given you?  For me it is cooking and teaching, maybe for you it would be helping someone fill out their tax forms, taking your lawn mower, clippers and helping someone in their yard.  Maybe you know how to grow a garden, could you teach that to someone so they can feed their family?  Possibly you have a tiller, could you team up with the gardener and till up garden spots?  Do you cut hair, fix cars, paint walls, wash clothes?  What are you rich in, what can you give, expecting nothing in return?

Some would think, “that don’t make no sense, I am on the brink of disaster myself, how can I give away my skill”.  Consider that it might make more sense than sitting at home worrying about if you can pay this bill or that or hold on to your car, house, or boat.  It makes much more sense than sitting in front of the TV worrying yourself to death about your retirement fund.  It even makes more sense than standing in an unemployment line with thousands of others or on a street corner with the “will work for food” sign.

What if you used the skills and talents you were given by God to just bless someone, with no expectation, requirement or even thought of return?  Could God possibly give you all things richly to enjoy?  Some reading this are already LIVING the Divine Experiment…..share with us, encourage us, exhort us, teach us what you have learned!

Where can you find places and people to invest in?  Look in your neighborhood, your church, community groups, schools, Senior Citizen organizations, how about the projects?  There are needs everywhere, ASK GOD where HE wants you to start,  HE will tell you.

To me, this is THE DIVINE EXPERIMENT.  To begin to obey God and trust HIM to supply all my needs.  I want to challenge you to do the same.  If God stirs this in your heart, begin to obey the scripture in 1 Timothy 6:17-19.  Use your gifts, talents, abilities to bless others.

We invite you to join us in this Divine experiment, comment on this blog, share what you are going to do and keep us posted. Share the experiment with your friends.  Let’s start to turn this thing around.  People are looking for answers, the answers are ALWAYS found in God’s ways.

Have the attitude of the memorable presidential candidate, H. Ross Perot….”you don’t have to pay me, I’ve got billions” (or something to that effect).  After all, God has promised HE will give us all things to richly to enjoy.

H. Ross Perot had another great line:

“The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river.”

~ H Ross Perot ~

Will you join us in the Divine Experiment we are calling “Living Rich”?

How to participate:

1. Ask God, who gives you all things richly to enjoy, what skill, talent, possession, do you want me to give?  Who do you want me to give to?
2. Post a comment to this blog as a declaration of commitment to God’s idea of Living Rich and to encourage others to do the same.
3. Do what God tells you.  Remember to do all as if you were doing it to and for Christ and do it in HIS strength.

Report back to this blog on your experiences.

What this is not:

• A way to manipulate God or man into meeting your needs.
• A way to get a tax write off.
• A way to worm your way into some rich person’s heart so they will remember you in their will.
• A way to take advantage of the vulnerable.
• A way to promote your business.

What it is:  A way of obedience to what God is calling you to do. To live beyond the ways of man and Live Rich in God.

Explore posts in the same categories: Living Rich, The Divine Experiment, Truth

Tags: economy, experiment, find work, giving, help wanted, help yourself, helping others, job search, live rich, Living Rich, purpose, survive recession, The Divine Experiment, work

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