I’ve heard it three times this past week:  “A major market crash is coming soon to a 2017 near you!!!”

OF course, there are multiple suggestions as to how to avoid said calamity:

“Be an entrepreneur”

“Invest in business”

“Buy gold and silver”

“Shore up your food supply”

“If you’re going to buy a house, buy now before rates rise.”

And, of course, all these suggestions assume you have a certain amount of capital to begin with. They all point you towards how to be self-sufficient. They point everywhere but God. 

Are these poor suggestions? No, but they require time. If a crash is imminent, you may not have time for the benefit of these efforts to be realized.

As someone who loves to read History (but is by no means an expert), I’ve come to the conclusion that disasters—natural and/or economic—do not play favorites. Certainly, the poor tend to suffer more than the rich during economic crises, but the rich are not unscathed. In fact, sometimes their devastation is far greater because they have further to fall than the rest of us. During natural disasters, the rich will die under a colapsing bridge or rising flood the same way a poor person will.

You really can’t take it with you, and you really aren’t an all-powerful, self-determining, demigod. 

It’s easy to hear apocalyptic predictions and panic—easier than falling off a log! It’s much harder to remember to lay your fears at the foot of God’s throne and go about your tasks with diligence.

Is a crash really coming?! What do I do!

For your first question—I haven’t the foggiest. I’m not God or an economic expert.

On the second question, I have a simple three-step process:

#1: Lay your fears before God.

Give thanks for all the times He has made provision for you and humbly ask Him to continue. Tell Him about “the impossibilities” and ask Him to grant you wisdom.

#2: Do The Next Right Thing

Be the best steward you can be today, in this moment, for you may not have tomorrow. Take care of your family, love your neighbor, and serve God. Do what is before you today and let go of your fear for tomorrow. To worry is to steal joy from today over what might not happen tomorrow.

#3: Take time to Remember

Do a quick search on “trust” in your Bible app and locate verses about God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. Read them, pray them, and write them.

Once you’ve done that make a list of at least 3 times God has provided for you or answered your prayers. Have this list with you when you repeat step 1.

Do all three things and then repeat!

Prepare yourself for the evil day by giving yourself to God this day.

Is a crash is truly coming? I can’t honestly say. A nuclear bomb or a terrorist strike or a thoughtless driver could strike me tomorrow and I would have no way to prevent it. Don’t waste today’s energy fretting about tomorrow’s troubles. Leave your unpredictable future in the hands of our faithful God.