At Petra Church we’ve been speaking a lot about keeping your confidence set on Jesus and not allowing the emotions of anxiety and fear to grip you or to dictate how you make decisions. Now we want to talk about being wise and making the most of the opportunities that are in front of you.
1. Stay positive. Be encouraged.
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). These words are more than a cliché. Every trial and disruption we face also carries a door of opportunity we can walk through, but we won’t see that opportunity if we’re too busy complaining. It’s easy to look at what is being taken away from us in trying times. Stop looking at what’s being taken away. Start looking for creative solutions and opportunities in the middle of your mess. Ask the Lord to show you where He is at work and how you can join him.
2. Strategic time
Maybe these weeks of shutdown aren’t a time for efficient production, or expanding your base, or planning a huge home renovation project. It could be a great time for doing some deep cleaning, decluttering your business, or taking the time to evaluate your priorities. What is God trying to say in this?
These slow times are also an excellent time to sharpen skill sets needed for more productive times later. “If the ax is dull…more strength is needed but skill will bring success” (Ecclesiastes 10:10). Don’t miss an opportunity to recuperate now, because you may not have that luxury when the shutdown is over.
3. Be financially wise
Be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit may be saying to you financially. If this is a time your family needs to exercise restraint and pecuniary pruning, then do it. It’s not forever. It’s only until you have a dashboard to see how you are doing financially. If your business is in a great financial position and you can expand your investments while products are cheap, then now might be a great time to spend wisely. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Listen to your accounts. Listen to the market, and respond accordingly. “Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well” (Ecclesiastes 11:6).
4. Express grace and patience for each other
Ok let’s be honest. For some people this is a highly stressful time. In addition to the stress many people are being forced to sequester with their families. You may be experiencing emotion strain and feel like you have no space to get away. Don’t freak out. Just remember to have grace for your spouse or children or grandma. Remember to speak life and not death--Jesus is walking through your furnace with you.
In the midst of highly stressful changes, it’s important to do things that are familiar to you and that revitalize you. If you need to get outside for a walk, then go. Read a book. Watch a movie. Create some personal space.
Create some space for God to speak his life into your family or business. You don’t have to figure all of this out on your own. God’s life will provide the grace you need. Remember, your paycheck is not your provider. “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ‘This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…give us today our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:8-11).
This has been a challenging month. But there’s no reason we can’t continue to trust in God’s goodness and declare his hope and joy over our situation.
Tags: finances, wisdom, grace, life, peace, patience, crisis, strategy, wordsoflife
