It is nearly impossible to pick up a newspaper these days without being confronted with a crisis. The plethora of burning issues seem to roll off the tongue like Billy Joels’ 1980s hit We Didn’t Start the Fire. Arab unrest, climate change, carbon tax, refugees, earthquakes, nuclear threats, US debt, house prices, interest rates, war in Afghanistan, Greek bailout, living costs, cattle bans… the list goes on.

For news and political junkies like myself, our present news cycle is riveting consumption. However, current events can also be quite a depressing diet. Once we have seen off one crisis, two more pop up. The continuation of these events have made us tired and nostalgic. We long for the days when life seemed simpler, more moral, and more secure.

But simply longing for our problems to be fixed does not work, so we submerge ourselves in the banality of Facebook, reality TV, and social gatherings. Alternatively we obsess with political and ideological involvement hoping to heal the world and make it a better place. In Australia, we are blessed to be somewhat isolated from the worst effects of some of the global crisis, but nevertheless, the creep of globalisation has drawn us into the vortex of world affairs.

But how should we as Australian Christians respond? Firstly, we should take comfort that no crisis is a surprise to God. Not only is God all-knowing, but he has told us that these types of events will occur. They are part of God’s plan for redemption in preparation for his return (Matthew 24:14).

Secondly, we should be on our guard for false christs. Our ever-present temptation is to look to government instead of God. We worship the false security of our worldly nest eggs, forgetting that Jesus taught us that earthly possessions will corrupt and disappear. We must replace our temporal christs with the treasure of our eternal Jesus.

Finally, as followers of Christ, we are not to worry, but rather we must renew our minds by having our thinking transformed (Romans 12:2). As we revel in God’s grace and mercy towards us, we will relax in God’s promise that we are not destined to judgment, but to rest. It is not our job to save the world, it is our job to love the saviour of the world.

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About Jeremy Crooks

Jeremy grew up in Sydney Australia. He has tertiary qualifications in business, training, and Bible. With experience in both church ministry and corporate human resources, Jeremy has a strong interest in how faith is demonstrated in our homes and workplaces. You can contact Jeremy at jeremy@jasonharris.com.au.

4 Comments

  1. PJ 8 July, 2011 at 5:15 pm - Reply

    Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks. It brought to mind the lyrics of favourite hymn –

    God is still on the throne,
    And he will remember his own;
    Though trials may press us
    And burdens distress us,
    He never will leave us alone;

    God is still on the throne,
    And he will remember his own;
    His promise is true,
    He will not forget you,
    God is still on the throne.

  2. Jason Harris 8 July, 2011 at 11:46 pm - Reply

    Good first post here. Excited to have you on the team!

  3. Jeremy 11 July, 2011 at 1:32 pm - Reply

    Thanks for the post – reminds me of Covey’s circles of influence – but this is more powerful because it answers the questions “why” and “so what!”

  4. Jeremy Crooks 9 August, 2011 at 9:34 am - Reply

    It looks like we are entering a new phase of crisis. Enthralling and sobering at the same time. Focus on Jesus.

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