Not Good Numbers - Hope in the Wrong Things

It's in the news this week that, "One in 50 Georgia households declared bankruptcy in 2009 between January and November, leaving the state with the third-highest personal bankruptcy rate in the nation." You can read the local coverage here.

Those are not good numbers. But that's not the whole story being told. The effects of the recession in our very global economy continue to be felt by many families. One bankruptcy lawyer said at first they were seeing people in the industries hardest hit coming in for their services, but now it is professionals of every field. He went on to say, "They (have) higher income and have a lot more assets, a lot more items like boats and motorcycles and four-wheelers."

My hope is that most of them could be able to point to bad decisions, sometimes bad timing, that put them into places that never intended to be found. While we can all learn from the past, and we should, my frustration with how the news is covering this, nor is it how many families are choosing to move forward. I actually heard one radio reporter say that families were counting on the upward bounce in the economy, markets continuing to improve, and possible new jobs in the works to help get them out of trouble. While any of these would be welcome, are those families waiting for other things to happen instead of working on what they can now?

I have to ask? Where is the evidence of learning in that kind of statement? Instead, it sounds like they continue to place their hopes that something 'out there' will make things right for them 'right here.' Since when are we supposed to rely on external circumstances out there to completely determine how our situation will look in here?

Maturity is learning from mistakes and being disciplined not to repeat them. I am concerned for anyone who is not learning from their past. I am especially concerned for those who place false hope in the lie that we can have any security in economics, good luck, perfect timing, or the myths being sold by this world.

May we be disciples of Jesus Christ who place our hope in Him, and strive for discipline in our lives that leads to good stewardship of all the gifts God has given us.