The current economic turmoil, marked by a barrage of distressing financial news, weighs heavily on society as reports of debt and governmental crisis-mode responses dominate. Investors on Wall Street react impulsively to each negative report, abandoning long-term strategies. Amidst this, two opposing economic perspectives emerge: one advocating for increased government intervention, regulation, and taxation, and the other supporting reduced regulation, market incentives, and consumer freedom in spending or saving. God's displeasure with the financial crisis is evident due to the underlying sins of greed, dishonesty, theft, and oppression. Such transgressions against His laws trigger inevitable penalties, with the timing and severity being the only uncertainties. America's economic struggles draw comparisons to past crises, and the full extent of the current situation remains to be seen. In financial matters, God provides clear guidance. He commands tithing, emphasizing a system of giving rather than getting, by allocating one-tenth of our income to support His church's work, which helps prioritize what truly matters. Additionally, He instructs us to aid the needy, starting with our families and church members, extending help to others as we are able. God advises against debt, warning that the borrower becomes servant to the lender, and encourages us to plan for repayment and avoid new debts. Furthermore, He urges saving to leave an inheritance for future generations, promoting a habit of setting aside money contrary to prevalent spendthrift tendencies.

Finances weigh heavily on many lives, often bringing stress and hardship. For most of the year, we live within a tight budget, unlike the brief indulgence of the Feast when we have spending cash, stay in nice hotels, and eat out. Yet, financial struggles can lead to despair, as seen in the case of a former employee who, overwhelmed by debts including new truck payments for himself and his son, attempted to take his own life. This underscores the crushing burden of financial mismanagement. Reflecting on personal experiences, I recall numerous financial mistakes from my younger years, especially with car financing. After college, despite a car allowance, I chose to buy new vehicles with hefty payments instead of saving or driving what I already owned. This pattern of debt continued until my early 30s, when I realized car payments were unnecessary. My family and I then committed to never carrying credit card balances or car notes again, adopting a strict budget to live within our means and only purchase what we could afford. To the younger generation, I urge learning from these lessons. Debt is a form of slavery, draining wealth and peace. Let this new year be a turning point to avoid giving money to banks and loan companies for cars, focusing instead on financial freedom through careful planning and discipline.

In a wave of prosperity, in the most prosperous nation that ever existed, most Americans are plagued by desperate financial worry, struggling to make ends meet despite possessing more developed resources and national wealth than any people before. Financial worries constantly bear us down, robbing us of real happiness and joy, which raises the question of why this should be in such abundance. There is a reason for this financial struggle, and you can be free from it by understanding a vital truth about your income. What you earn is not truly yours until certain prior claims are met. Human governments extract over one quarter of your income through taxes, but the first claim is God's. God Almighty, the Creator-Ruler of the universe, claims ownership of all you produce, as everything comes from the earth He created and sustains, including the energy and thinking processes you use. God, in His love and concern for your welfare, has made a law regarding the portion of His wealth you work upon. Your wages, salary, profit, and income belong to Him, not to you, until you adhere to His directive. As the supreme Ruler and Lawgiver, God allows you to work on His earth and use its resources under a partnership where He reserves only one small tenth for His use. After you honestly pay this tenth to God's chosen representative, the remaining nine tenths become legally yours to do with as you decide. God uses this tenth to disseminate His message of a way of life that frees people from fears and worries, offering peace, happiness, joy, and eternal life. Obedience to God's laws brings blessings, and the man who pays God's tenth prospers, always having his actual needs supplied. God promises to open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings for those who honor Him with their substance and the first fruits of their increase. When God receives His portion of your income, He becomes your partner, sharing in your profits and causing you to prosper, even helping you out of debt if you prioritize the debt you owe Him first. If you neglect to pay this first tenth, you steal from your partner, and God will not continue to bless your efforts. This financial problem of making ends meet is a significant challenge in Christian living, reflecting a curse brought upon ourselves by robbing God, as foretold in prophecy. God has provided for the financing of His powerful ministry through His tithing system from the beginning, ensuring His called ministers are free to proclaim His truth boldly without being controlled by men or organizations. The tithe, meaning a tenth, is not yours to give but belongs to God, and you pay it to His representative as to Him, with your responsibility ceasing once it is paid. God uses this tithe for His ministry, carrying on His Work, which today is a worldwide mission reaching millions through powerful facilities that require significant funding. Even if you are in debt, it is right to pay God's tithe first, as this debt precedes all others in time and principle. Make God your partner in your finances, seek His Kingdom first, and receive His blessing to enable you to pay your debts or meet your needs more quickly. If you appropriate His share for yourself, you are stealing and robbing God. Take God at His Word, prove Him, and see how you begin to prosper by being a faithful steward in this partnership.

The United States is of major concern to the world's nations because they witness America's profligate spending and realize that their economic futures are precariously linked to the American economic system. Americans cannot discipline themselves to go without, clinging to portable computers, high-speed internet, smart phones, movies, television, music downloads, pets, booze, coffee, and education. These indeed have become America's idols.

Richard Ritenbaugh acknowledges that young people display a proclivity to accept socialism, oblivious to the horrendous damage socialist experiments have brought to the world. Politicians of the ilk of Bernie Sanders have fomented hatred toward capitalism by comparing it to an imaginary utopia. Economist Walter Williams insists that the free market, with all its warts, is far superior to collectivism at protecting people from poverty. Poverty is not usually an economic issue but stems from ethical and moral deficits. Socialism simply transfers wealth to the leaders of a government, leaving most of the citizenry in greater poverty. Williams, in his article, "Do These Four Things to Avoid Poverty," suggests that a young person, to keep his nose above poverty or failure, needs to (1.) complete high school, (2.) get a job, (3.) get married before having children, and (4.) be a law-abiding citizen. Poverty is self-caused—not the result of society, bad laws or systemic bigotry. Young people who drop out of school, take drugs, and fornicate set themselves up for failure. The law is no problem for those who obey it, but it will break those who break it, making it difficult to rebound.