2020 was an anomaly, or so it was thought. The pandemic was a surprise with the many changes it brought. 2021 was not so different. People settled into a new normal that was anything but normal. Information regarding COVID remained conflicting and fluid. Anxiety caused by the pandemic not only affected health but livelihood and security. Many middle-class Christians in America faced uncertainty as to their ability to cloth and feed their families, perhaps, for the first time.
Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 regarding not to worry about what you eat, or drink or wear seemed to be for other people, not the average middle-class American Christian.[i] Getting a good education and working hard equaled financial security. Forced to choose between untenable job situations and that which felt safe for the family, i.e., vaccination mandates, left feelings of uncertainty. Frequently, in two-parent families, one or both were affected by job changes in some form. Mixed messages about COVID safety, lack of family support due to the risk of spreading variants, left many scratching their heads at what is and what isn’t in the future. Security seemed elusive. Well-laid plans were set aside. Savings and college funds began to deplete. “According to Moody’s Analytics, an economic research firm, excess savings among many working and middle-class households could be exhausted as soon as early next year.”[ii]
What is happening to the middle class? “A two-tier system is emerging in which highly paid professionals…have more options than ever, while middle-income workers often are ordered back to full-time on-site work and might have little choice but to quit,” says an article in Politico. Specifically, 34 percent of households earning between $30,000 and $99,999 reported financial hardship, while only 10 percent of households earning $100,000 or more did.[iii]
Jesus encourages us to live each day without worry. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.”[iv] Give yourselves over to faith in Christ and a relationship with Him providing a security that will withstand the changes in your physical world. Trust Jesus to walk with you daily and seek His wisdom in all matters accessing the peace that has no human understanding. There is no better time to show others our faith and present them with what is most needed of all, the need for the savior. “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Jesus Christ.”[v]
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