Why are Americans anxious?

Have you seen the news lately? Scary, isn’t it? It leaves one to wonder what is going to happen next. Enough is enough.

I want to report on what has been happening in the USA, and possibly around the world, hard times are upon us. Gas pries are on the rise, and they seem to be going up, up, up. Now, the prices have stabilized but for how long. The USA has probably the lowest gas prices than most countries. Earlier this year the highest gas prices reported in the world was in Turkey at $11 per gallon. It is overwhelming tremendously.

The government is bailing out banks; most are the biggest in the country. Why do the banks need bailed out in the first place? It is simple, because banks gave their customers better details. It did not really matter to the banks that these deals were bad business. When the reports came out about these mortgages going sour, it meant trouble for the consumer. Those affected stand to lose everything and their homes go into foreclosures. Did the bank companies offer an apology to the consumer? Probably not, they were too busy trying to hide the evidence.

Major businesses are next to go into default. Now that the economy has gone south, those businesses are laying its workforce off in order to cut cost and stay afloat.

The major car dealers are in trouble. The bad news seems endless. With nearly 2 million people out of work in the US alone, how are they going to survive?

Now it is the major car manufactures turn to send out a lament. With many American out of work, they cannot buy cars. Had the car manufactures looked ahead and heard the first groans of an ailing economy they should have stopped mass-producing cars. Maybe it was a dream to make the cars and hope the economy would make a rapid comeback. They need a serious reality check and stop what they are doing and let the economy catch up. That is not going to happen within six months, or even a year. Let’s be realistic, the economy is in serious trouble.

From my point of view, the banks and the businesses only concern is who can make the most money and competing with each other. They start up ad campaigns and brag they are better than their competitors are, and fight amongst themselves. The only thing in their line of vision is making money in the triple digits. They could not see the big trouble up ahead because they were too busy keeping their eyes on the cash register.

Enough about the big business, let’s talk about the average person with a house to manage, children to raise, and putting food on the table.

What is going on with you in your life?

Can you answer the questions listed below honestly?

* What is happening in your life right now?

* Is life going good for you right now?

* Is your financial situation stable?

If your answer is negative to any of the questions, how are you dealing with the answers? With the chaos raging around you, are you still able to pay your bills? Do you sometimes find yourself robbing Peter to pay Paul to make ends meet? Do you think a payday loan would help now? Do you really want to risk being stuck in an endless payday loan cycle that you cannot break? It happens more often than you realize.

Do your children have enough to eat? Are you able to buy groceries or do you have to have to make a choice between food and medications?

Are you dealing with your troubled teenage son or daughter? Do you try to help them as much as you can but nothing helps? You’ve tried everything but the trouble continues until the child runs away or worst starts taking drugs.

Someone you can trust

When your personal life is in chaos, you need someone you can trust. It’s God. He is just a prayer away, and He’s willing to help you if you leave your problems in His hands. He says, “My yoke is easy, your burden is light.” [Matthew 11:30]

I am the author of the Chenoa’s Spiritual Journey Series, an inspirational fictional series for young adults, as well as adults. It is about 16-year-old Chenoa Gray Owl’s spiritual journey, and she had to learn to trust God because a tragedy in her life brought unwanted changes. If Chenoa had, had a deep abiding relationship with God many of the hardships thrust upon her could have been minimal. Only in the end, when Chenoa hits rock bottom, does she invite Jesus Christ into her heart and begins trusting God.

Do you often find yourself at the bottom looking up? Do you pray about the situation? Do you reach for something to relax your jangled nerves? You won’t find the answer in the bottom of a bottle. Do you feel like running away instead of dealing with whatever is before you? Don’t run its great exercise but it doesn’t get you anywhere.

Are you truly trusting God in your life, and asking Him for help with your problems? If the answer is yes, then your faith will see you through.

If you are having problem after problem, then you are not alone. You should remember that which does not kill you, will make you stronger. Know that you are not alone because God is with you as you go through the fire. He gives us His assurance in Isaiah 43:2-3: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the waters, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

If you are a Christian, then you know that the testing of your faith makes you stronger in your spiritual walk with God. It transforms you into a better person to where God can use you. Your success coming out on the other side will help a friend who is having a problem.

Here is a simple solution

Here is the solution in five steps:

1. Accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior

Walk in the light of His truth. Granted, you will probably have the same problems, however, you now have a friend that will be right beside you, helping you through them.

[“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm, and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.” Hebrews 6:19-20]

2. Step out in faith

God is right beside you. He will guide you and sustain you. In doing so allows God to work out your problems and sometimes He does it in His time. God is higher up than you are and He can see the way clearly. He knows what is up head, and around every corner. Although you cannot see the path because of all the twists and turns remember, He has gone on before you.

[“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It endures the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.” Hebrew 6:19-20]

3. Trust God

God knows what’s He’s doing. After all, He created you and He knows what is best for you.

[“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your path straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6]

4. Don’t worry

Worrying does not make your problems go away. When you worry about your problems, you just go around in circles. That is not progress; it is taking one-step forward and two steps backward. Have you ever seen a dog chase its own tail? Does the dog get anywhere? After a time, the dog just wears itself out and gives up the chase. Do you ever find the end of the problem using this method, or even find a solution? You answer is probably no. You can find God’s answer about worrying in Matthew 6:25-34.

5. Let go let God

Don’t try to fix the problems yourself. When you try to do it on your own, you wind up making them worse instead of better. Do you find that to be true? Before you dashing around in the dark go before God and pray about the problem. God is the Creator of the Universe and He does not need your help fixing problems. He is the expert.

[“So we say with confidence, LORD is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6]

Do you need help making sense out of all the chaos? Are you ready to ask God to help you during this chaotic time in your life? He will be your comfort in a world gone mad. During these uncertain times in your life, you can always remember you aren’t alone. God is a prayer away. Why would you walk your journey alone, invite Jesus to come along?

In my novel Chenoa’s Spiritual Journey, Chenoa discovered it isn’t so easy to walk that journey by herself. Her life seemed to be going out of control, because she stubbornly refused to let go of the reigns. She tried fixing the problems she created only to find that she only made them worse. When she realized she was not in control, she let go of the reigns and allowed God to be her guide.

What about you, where are you at in your life? Are you trying to control your own circumstances? You will find out that trying to control everything is a lonely road to walk by yourself. Are you willing to let God handle it? He is the best companion to take on your life’s journey. Only you can make that decision; it is an important decision so choose wisely.