Will we recover from this economic disaster?

I was asked this question last weekend at a seminar. This certainly was no surprise since we are all asking the same question right now. I believe the answer lies in two books. The first book is the history book.

We have to look at this economy and keep it in perspective. Our economy has tanked before. First let’s look at the stock market. Even when the stock market dropped 89% during the Depression, it did recover (25 years later). Although 25 years is a long time, the average trough-to-peak recovery period after bear markets is 3.3 years. (InvesTech Research).

Secondly let’s look at unemployment. The current 8% is extremely high and very painful. (Especially to those who are unemployed.) However, history shows us that in the early 80’s our country experienced over 10% unemployment. And just like the other unemployment peaks on this chart from the chart from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics we as a nation have recovered.

Third let’s look at housing starts. Housing is a key indicator to the strength of our economy. This chart of housing starts over the last 50 years shows us pretty clearly that housing starts have fallen in the past and do recover.

So if the history book is our teacher, then yes, we will recover from this economic disaster. One other lesson from history is that the stock market usually will lead the recovery. When the stock market starts to climb its way out of the hole, the history book tells us that recovery will follow.

But we as children of God have a much better source than just the history book. God’s Word gives us a little different picture. In Daniel 12:1, the book of Revelation and directly from the Lord’s teaching in Matthew 24:21ff, Mark 13 and Luke 21 we see that history will not always repeat itself.

Matthew 24:21 says “For there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.”

The problem is that although we are given some good indicators, we do not know exactly when this tribulation will take place. (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32, Acts 1:7)

But there is another truth in God’s Word that we cannot ignore. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 says: “Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord “. In other words, we as Christians are going to miss that tribulation.

So how do we as believers react in this crazy economy? Sure we should read our history book, but make sure we do it with an open Bible. I remember a little saying I was told when I was growing up. “Plan like Jesus is never coming back but live like he is coming back today”. Continue to look for that job, to invest in the stock market and to stick to your long term plans (following Crown's Money Map).

But don’t overlook the more important second part of the saying, live like Christ may come back today. He might! What tremendous hope we have as believers.

Did you ever think that the best case scenario for the world is the worst option for the believer? The worst case scenario for us is that the economy recovers and we are here to see it, the best case is that we have begun our eternal life with our Lord and Savior and fellow believers.

In other words, as believers the answer to the question “Will we recover from this economic disaster?” is most definitely yes. The real question is: Where will we be?