Freedom from Economic Insecurity

Prosperity Thoughts March 2009

The question “Where can you reliably turn for economic security in times of financial turmoil?” is on the minds of a lot of people these days. I have some thoughts that might be helpful.

First, the ultimate point is that the source of freedom from economic insecurity is God.

Some people think that their job or their wages is their source of security. I read today that 1/10^th of all workers in California are presently out of work. In the greater New York City area approximately 100,000 MBA types that used to earn over $100,000 per year have been laid off in the past few months. Construction workers, real estate agents, mortgage brokers as well as thousands of other professionals are being laid off or are functionally unemployed. Jobs are inherently insecure.

Some people rely on their home for security. They thought that the equity in their home would always be there as a nest egg. Ha! Home values have dropped over 20 % in the past year. In some places they have dropped much more. In many markets the backlog of homes for sales is two years or more, so the only people that can even sell their homes are doing so at a deep discount. Real estate does not offer security any longer.

Stock Indexes and many investment accounts are down 20% in just the past month. Many once blue chip stocks have lost nearly all their value. GM is on the verge of bankruptcy, Citicorp shares are selling for under a dollar each. The great investment genius of our lifetime, Warren Buffett has lost multiple billions of dollars this past year. Hedge Funds and private equity funds have been hammered in the past year. Even money market type accounts, supposedly the safest of the safe have been wiped out. There have been two reported frauds in money market type investments where the outright losses appear to be in excess of $50 billion. Investments are inherently risky.

Given the massive deficit in the US, there is no doubt that dollars are going to suffer significant inflation in the next few years. The value of commodities has gyrated all over the place. Oil is way down after reaching historic highs just last summer. Gold, Silver and Platinum are up and down and risky. Cotton was at an all time low and then is now gone way up in price.

Retirement programs are also insecure. Private Annuities and Pension programs have lost 33% and more in their value this past year as the stock markets have tanked. The entire Social Security program is terribly underfunded. The State and local PERS programs have lost billions in the stock crash and were underfunded to begin with so they now face a horrific shortfall. All those government workers that think they have a sure thing are likely to find out that the tax payers just cannot earn enough to cover the costs of those pensions. Voters are fickle.

In the face of all this upset, many people are turning to politics and government to bail them out. Governments however do not create wealth, they redistribute it. Those in favor today will be out of favor in a few years and anyone who relies on the promises of a politician for their security has never studied history. Politicians that can be replied on are few and far between. Honest people rarely run for political office- much less get elected in the climate of corruption that exists in political circles these days. Both parties have proven over and over again that they put their own interest over that of the citizens that vote for them.

On the macro scale Empires have risen and fallen. None offer any sort of permanence. In fact history shows over and over again that about the time the citizens begin to rely on their government to provide for their security, is about the time when an empire begins its steep decline.

Now, there is hope. I do mean to provide an uplifting message here, so let’s turn away from what does not work and look at where we can get results.

God is eternal. Spiritual Law is Universal and everlasting. If you are looking for economic predictability then we know there only one place where you can be assured of results. That is to invest in Spirit.

I can assure you that if you invest your security in Spirit, your security is promised. Anyone who has invested in the stock market has a strategy. Every one that got an education had a plan. Each person with a career followed some sort of path. The same is true for spiritual investment, you need an approach. Here is a proven and systematic approach that works and has always worked.

There are four straightforward steps to systematically transform your life approach away from the fantasy of material security.

First, become aware of all the lack thinking that you engage in. Notice when you think you do not have enough time to do that which is yours to do or enough money to enjoy the things that really matter to you. Become aware of when you feel harried and exhausted. Pay attention when you feel drained or depleted. It is essential to your connection to the inexhaustible source to eliminate the lack thinking that prevents you from finding the infinite flow of good in your life. If we focus on the world being a place of deprivation and impoverishment, for sure that is what we will experience. (I know I mentioned some of this above, this was to help folks see where they might be holding onto ideas that are not spiritually sound.)

In order to do this, it is very helpful to continually recall that we are children of the Divine. That which created us, created the entire universe. The universe is orderly and there are laws that govern its behavior. Likewise there are key Spiritual Truths that have been known to mystics and sages throughout recorded time. We know these Spiritual Principles as well. In times of transformation it is a good idea to be clear on what these laws are and which we believe and which we resist. So, take the time to organize what you actually think about prosperity and compare it to what you “know” about prosperity in terms of Truth Teachings. (We as a church are undergoing this process now as we get in touch with our core values surrounding prosperity.)

The third step is then to be open to new ideas. There are several components to this, and to change our thinking is to change our life. If we want transformation then we need to be willing to make some shifts in both our thinking and in our behavior. Sometimes we change a behavior to help our thinking get realigned with Truth. Other times we have to change our thinking and surrender our behavior, knowing that in the end our behavior will align with our most deeply held belief.

One of the essential keys here is to be open to Divine Ideas. These are the great Gifts that lead us to our good. There is an infinite supply of great ideas available to us. It is the purview of our ego to be right, look good and keep us safe. The ego likes to plan for our future and organize our life. On the other hand, our Higher Power is an infinitely better organizing intelligence which resides in us at all times. It can correlate things that our ego cannot even conceive of. Thus our path to prosperity is to be open to these Divine Ideas and not allow our egoic thinking- which is inherently short sighted – to run (or ruin) our life.

These Divine Ideas will run up against your thinking that says that you are not smart enough to successfully implement the Divine Idea. You will think that you do not have the experience, the resources, the intelligence, the time, and numerous other lack based excuses to manifest your Gift. Anytime that you make a decision to reject a Divine Idea based on the belief that you do not have enough money, then you are then investing in lack consciousness. Lack begets lack so please beware that you are investing in a fantasy when you operate from this perspective.

Here is another aspect of being open to new ideas. There is only one surefire and bankable way to know that you are opening yourself up to Divine Ideas and that is to tithe. When you tithe (which is to joyously give to those that spiritually nourish you with a sense of gratitude for the gifts you have been given) then you are demonstrating to your mind and to your ego that you do have enough. It is impossible to tithe from a place of sustained lack thinking. As you tithe, you will be reminding yourself each week to look for the Divine Ideas flowing your way. When they arrive you will be receptive because in your heart you know that tithing creates a flow. You give, but you cannot out give God. And thus, as you tithe, you must be willing to receive. The abundance that you receive tends to come in the form of Divine Ideas, authentic and supportive relationships and in opportunities to joyfully make difference in people’s lives. To the extent that you serve life, and joyously serve life, you will experience prosperity.

The fourth stage or step in this transformational dynamic is to courageously step out in those matters of finance which we feel called to undertake. It means we will spend our money consciously, in an organized fashion (rather than reactively or compulsively) to bring about a sense of good into our lives. It means that we will expand our horizons fearlessly as we find our right livelihood (that which brings us meaning while serving others). It means we will be supportive of the success of others knowing that their good does not take away from ours. A measure of discernment is helpful here, so this is where spiritual guidance or mentorship can leverage our good. Some so called Great Ideas are really a Brain Fart.

Thus, one new concept I had to learn early on my spiritual path was to tell the difference between a spiritual calling and ego driven behavior. Getting good guidance from those more fully attuned to the ways of Spirit was an extraordinary blessing to me in learning how to make this distinction.

So, here it is; the simple and straightforward path to freedom from economic insecurity. Simple is not always easy, and straightforward does not always mean that you can see the way, but I promise you that you will find a life of ease and grace as you master these principles.