Facing Tough Times with Faith and Confidence

John Volinsky

There is Hope

John Volinsky - Senior Director of Church Relations, World Vision

During the last month or so we have been hit with plenty of economic tough times. The stock market has been on a long downward slide; people are losing their jobs; churches are being impacted; and families are struggling to make ends meet. We have launched this page as a place for you to come to hear an encouraging word, to find some helpful resources and to boost your faith and confidence. We have to be careful not to confuse facts and truth. The facts are that the economy is struggling and may continue to get worse. The truth is, God has promised to meet our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19). Although we may not know what the future holds, we know who holds the future.

Rich Stearns in Africa

Faith in the Midst of Crisis

Rich Stearns, President of World Vision

I faced my own moment of truth in 1987 during one of our country's worst stock market crashes. In one day, my wife, Renee, and I lost more than one-third of our life savings. How do we deal with such devastation? Do we panic, or do we trust that God is bigger than our current situation? Well, I decided to panic! I became obsessed with our losses and tried everything to remedy the situation. It wasn't until Renee confronted me about my unhealthy behavior that I was able to look beyond myself and see the larger picture.

That night Renee and I took a leap of faith. In the midst of loss and uncertainty, Renee told me, "Now I think we need to get out the checkbook and write some big checks to our church and the ministries we support. We need to show God that we know this is His money and not ours." It is this type of faith that frees you being a slave to money and a slave to this world.

World Vision Expands Operations to Reach Those Hardest Hit by Recession

Aid Agency Continues Efforts to Offer Assistance to Local Families
March 2009

World Vision is excited to announce plans to expand its operations in Philippi, West Virginia and the surrounding communities. In addition to expanding its local operations, World Vision is preparing to launch a new national initiative later this year to help fight the root causes of rural poverty. Both programs will be based in Philippi, West Virginia.

"There couldn't be a better time than now for World Vision to expand its reach into this community and across the country," said Reg Trefethen, the field site director for World Vision in Philippi. "The economic crisis continues to affect the daily lives of the children and families we serve throughout West Virginia, and World Vision is grateful that we are able to partner with so many local organizations to offer assistance." Read more...

Recession Predictions

Chuck Bentley, CEO Crown Ministries
April 2008

I find a lot of truth in economist Paul Samuelson's famous tongue-in-cheek quote, and it keeps me humble in regard to my opinion about where the economy is going. But over the past few weeks, the headlines have predicted much about the U.S. and global economies.

First, economic downturns need not be a cause for panic. With much fear and uncertainty in the news, it's easy to believe that even more bad news is on the way. But as Christians, we should avoid allowing current events of any kind to create fear-based decisions. In 1 Chronicles 29:11, David wrote, "We adore You as being in control of everything" (TLB). These words should comfort all of us in uncertain times. It wasn't too many years ago that the fluctuations in the Dow Jones Industrial Average accurately graphed my emotional condition. If the Dow was up, I was positive. If the Dow was down, my outlook was negative. I have since learned not to become overly negative or enthusiastic with the swings in the economy since only the Lord Himself knows the future. Notwithstanding what the Bible shares with us about future events, I personally cannot see one second through the veil of time. This limitation exists to allow us to exercise our faith.

Second, our federal government is not on the brink of bankruptcy. While the federal deficit has spiraled to over $9 trillion--that's in real dollars--the U.S. economy has grown substantially as well. The U.S. national deficit stands at approximately 65% of our GDP (Gross Domestic Product). By the same measure, China's deficit to GDP ratio is estimated to be about 16%, Israel's stands at 87%, and Japan's tops out at 170%. When considered in context to our national wealth, we are a long way from an all-time high deficit-to-GDP ratio. In 1946, our federal deficit reached 121.7% of our GDP. This historic high occurred under the Truman administration during World War II when the nation experienced high deficit spending combined with a slower economic growth. Don't get me wrong, the U.S. debt needs to be reduced, but we are far from the disproportionate levels reached in the 1940s. Whether we are faced with recession, inflation, "stagflation" or even a depression, it is far more important that we reduce our personal debt levels. I advocate being totally debt free, which minimizes our dependency on how our government operates the federal budget and thus minimizes our vulnerability to economic fluctuations.

Finally, the uncertain state of the economy serves to remind us of Hebrews 13:5; "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you'" (NIV). Our ultimate preparedness is to avoid fear or panic, reduce our vulnerability created by debt and remain dependent upon Christ who is the never-changing constant in an ever-changing economy. He loves us, and He will always be there, whether the money is or not.