— Joe Shoko
The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
The Zimbabwean economy is somewhat of a roller coaster, maybe even a conveyor belt of never-ending outward hardships and trials. One recent addition to the pile was the expected but untimely increase in fuel prices. In Southern Africa, Zimbabwe’s fuel prices tower above those of its neighbours, and what is further perplexing is that the economy is more unstable than those of said neighbours.
The hiking of fuel prices affects numerous factors. Not only is one limited in travel, but all other commodities increase in price because goods and people use fuel to move around. Despite the increase in costs, one’s income rarely follows the same inclinations and often can be reduced, owing to major companies having to adjust their own payrolls.
It is at this juncture that many ask, “What next?” How will people adequately take care of their families or give towards ministry and missions on Sunday morning? For the Christian, this can bring forth an oscillation between anxiety, faith, despair, and hope.
What truths can we draw from Scripture to persevere in the given circumstances in a way that glorifies God?
- The whole world is under a curse.
No matter where you go in this world, the curse that fell upon Adam and Eve is embedded in the DNA of every single human being and the mechanisms they come up with (Gen 3:16-18). The Bible teaches that all of mankind falls short of the glory of God and that mankind is in desperate need of being redeemed from sin, not necessarily a better life (Rom. 3:23).
Thus, moving to another country in a bid to escape economic difficulty does not negate the plethora of problems you may find there. There is no nation untouched by the curse, and even more importantly, our greatest problem is within, not without; it is primarily the human heart, not our outward trials.
- Suffering is not unique to this age.
In the context of persecution, around 2000 years ago, Jesus told His disciples that in this world, they would find trouble (John 16:33). What Jesus wanted his followers to know is that they would be tortured, scattered and killed for preaching the kingdom. The Apostle Peter, who was most likely present when Jesus made this statement, years later, reinforces this point of Christians suffering persecution in 1 Peter 4:12, when he urges the Christians in dispersion not to be surprised when suffering comes.
Even the righteous man Job remarked thousands of years before, “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.” (Job 14:1)The Bible is a book about how mankind incurred judgment for themselves by disobeying the ever-gracious God. Since the fall, suffering is intrinsic to human existence in every age.
- God’s purpose in your nationality.
Trials and the difficulty of life can cause one to question their very existence and purpose in this life. The Bible tells us that God is sovereign over nations and the allotment of time that those who are born in them have. God created mankind in His image, and saw it fit to have people of different ethnicities and to have them live in a certain place for a period of time.
There are many people who, in their thinking and practice, hate the sovereign choice that God has for them. However, there is a purpose for one who is born in Zimbabwe and has had to endure ‘unfavourable’ economic conditions for all their lives, just as much as there is a purpose for someone born into great bounty in Britain. One must seek to honour and obey the Lord in their present circumstances, even while they may seek to change them.
4. Godliness with contentment is great gain
In Ecclesiastes 1:8, the wise man teaches us that the eyes are never full of seeing and the ears are never full of hearing. In this life, there will always be a longing and craving for more. Mankind often has his eyes on the horizon. However, the Spirit-filled believer has the ability to take their eyes off the ends of the earth and practice thankfulness for what God has presently given. After all, we learn from Scripture that godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Tim. 6:6).
The Apostle Paul assures God’s people that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purposes. The only hope we have is in the person and work of Christ, whose blood was poured out for many and His body broken, for the forgiveness of sin.
That Christ suffered in our place does not exempt us from suffering in the here and now; it spurs us on to keep forging ahead, for in Christ, the present trials are just for a little while. Everyone is faced with the choice of looking to Princes to save them, or turning to the Prince of Peace to be their refuge in this tumultuous and ever-changing world.