Wake Up, Look Up

Hello, everyone, and thanks for listening to Wake Up, Look Up, a podcast where we connect events happening in real time to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm Zach Weihrauch, and in today's episode we're asking the question, what killed financial grit? Now, this is prompted by an opinion piece I read in the Washington Post by Zachary Carabelle, who, and he was talking about how, in his mind at least, the quote, unquote, affordability crisis in America right now is a myth. Now, he doesn't mean that it isn't real. He means that it isn't new. The affordability crisis, if you're reading the news these days, is everywhere. I mean, the argument is that things are more expensive than they've ever been. Interest rates are high, Job growth isn't happening. It's. And so it's harder as an American to live and move in our economy than it has ever been. Particularly young Americans feel as though they have it harder than any generation before them. And what Carabao is saying is, look, you have it hard, but you don't have it any harder than anyone else. In fact, data that he cites from a Gallup poll show that economic dissatisfaction in America, the feeling that the economy is not working, that it's too hard to afford things in America, has been the norm since the 1970s. In other words, for about 50 years, Americans have felt like the economy is tough and things aren't affordable. In fact, he even talks about how soaring prices in housing and healthcare are not new, that they have been kind of on a steady increase for the last 50 years. And in fact, to illustrate this point, he shows that home ownership in America is not any lower now than it was in the 1970s. it's hovering always, year after year, in that mid 60% range. People own homes just as much now as they ever did. In other words, what Carabelle is saying is, like, look, we might have some economic issues in America, and we might need to take a look as a society at. At the structures that make these things. True, but it isn't any harder now than it was then. And the reason why I find this so interesting is because the American mindset towards the economy seems to always be that the problems are external, that it's someone else's fault I can't buy a home. It's someone else's fault. I can't put money away for retirement. I can't afford groceries. And look, some people do have it harder than others. Those are issues we'll deal with in other episodes. But for A lot of people. I think the issue that the Bible would take aim at is not external realities, but internal ones. The truth is, many of us are not very wise with money. And the Bible calls us pretty consistently to wisdom as it relates to our finances. Consider Proverbs 21:5, where the writer says, the plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance. But everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. In America, we have a, if you want it, you should buy it culture. We have a culture that goes on Amazon and buys something and uses Klarna to pay for it in eight payments. Well, is it any wonder then why we're in such trouble? Materialism, Impatience. An inability to delay gratification. Wanting something today instead of understanding the wisdom of waiting till tomorrow. The Bible tells us to. It warns us against all of these things. It warns us against a mindset of finding satisfaction in material possessions. It warns us about an overemphasis on today's pleasure instead of tomorrow's provision. I guess my point in all of this is even if there are economic realities that are a problem outside of me, what good will shaking my fist at those things do? Most of us are powerless to change them. And hey, if you want to run for office and give it a try, go for it. But absent that, what are we really going to do? So even if 6 out of the 10 problems facing you economically are external, so what? The 4 that are internal are the ones that the Bible can actually help you with? That surrendering your heart and your pocketbook to Jesus can actually lead to flourishing? The Bible has a lot to say about how we should think about debt, how we should think about investing, how we should think about generosity. I think what the Bible would tell us is that even in times where the economy is difficult or wisdom can lead to the best kind of life, and I wish more of us went there. Look, the truth is we're in a culture that teaches us to blame everyone else for our problems instead of heeding what the Bible says, which is that we should examine our own hearts, examine our own decisions, and acknowledge our need for someone to help us find wisdom financially. And that someone is God. We need to regain our financial grit, regain our wisdom, regain our ability to think about tomorrow instead of today. And God wants to help us do that. So if you're struggling economically, if you're looking for answers, go to God. He has them and he wants to help. Hey, thanks for watching this episode of Wake Up, Look Up. If you enjoyed it, Please help us get the word out by sharing it with someone you think might benefit from it. And while you're here, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to get further content, or even download the CCC app, where you'll find even more resources to help you grow in your faith and relationship with Jesus Christ.

Have an article you’d like Zach to discuss? Email us at wakeup@ccchapel.com!