Okay, so the stock market is down again. We all know the economy is bad (whatever that means) and we cannot be surprised at this news, but it still bothers us.
We live in a world that seems immensely complex. We listen to news about Greek debts and Italian debts and Spanish debts, to go along with our national debts. We worry about how Japan's currency change will impact our exporting industries.
Wait a minute. I don't have any exporting industries. Seriously. I don't.
I also do not own any Greek debt instruments. I am neither a taxpayer nor an investor in Italian or Spanish stock. I do not even own any American government debt. Why am I so worried about Greece and Italy and Spain and whatever may be an exporting industry?
Because I am told to be worried. That's what media does, it tells me to be worried. Mark Twain described it well in Tom Sawyer Abroad: " the newspapers fetches you the troubles of everybody all over the world, and keeps you downhearted and dismal most all the time, and it's such a heavy load for a person." We tend to think that by worrying about things that are far away (Greek debt? Really?), I am somehow preparing for what is going to come. We think we are being serious and adult.
Ecclesiastes knows better. "Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot." Ecc. 5:18. Every moment of my day that is ruined by worrying about Greek debt is a wasted moment.
Every moment I spend worrying about "what life will be like for my children" is also wasted, as compared to a moment actually doing something. Earning a living or spending time with them is better than reading a dozen articles on foreign trade issues (unless you work in foreign trade).
God has given me a scope of activities in my life. My family. My work. My church. My neighborhood. The people with whom I come into contact. Their debts matter to me, Greek debt does not.
Let me spend my time on things that matter in my life.
We live in a world that seems immensely complex. We listen to news about Greek debts and Italian debts and Spanish debts, to go along with our national debts. We worry about how Japan's currency change will impact our exporting industries.
Wait a minute. I don't have any exporting industries. Seriously. I don't.
I also do not own any Greek debt instruments. I am neither a taxpayer nor an investor in Italian or Spanish stock. I do not even own any American government debt. Why am I so worried about Greece and Italy and Spain and whatever may be an exporting industry?
Because I am told to be worried. That's what media does, it tells me to be worried. Mark Twain described it well in Tom Sawyer Abroad: " the newspapers fetches you the troubles of everybody all over the world, and keeps you downhearted and dismal most all the time, and it's such a heavy load for a person." We tend to think that by worrying about things that are far away (Greek debt? Really?), I am somehow preparing for what is going to come. We think we are being serious and adult.
Ecclesiastes knows better. "Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot." Ecc. 5:18. Every moment of my day that is ruined by worrying about Greek debt is a wasted moment.
Every moment I spend worrying about "what life will be like for my children" is also wasted, as compared to a moment actually doing something. Earning a living or spending time with them is better than reading a dozen articles on foreign trade issues (unless you work in foreign trade).
God has given me a scope of activities in my life. My family. My work. My church. My neighborhood. The people with whom I come into contact. Their debts matter to me, Greek debt does not.
Let me spend my time on things that matter in my life.