Inflation & the Christian
Pastor Eric Chan
“Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels.”
Our world has been overwhelmed with bad news recently. Besides the Russian-Ukraine war, inflation in the United States has already reached its highest levels since February 1982. Locally, many economists have also warned of a sharp rise in inflation in Singapore due to geopolitical risks and other uncertainties. For the average Singaporean, this means their money will buy them fewer goods and that the cost of living will increase.
Though unfortunate, this is not something unheard of in Scripture. In the passage above, the Syrian king Ben-Hadad attacked Samaria, triggering famine and a sharp increase in the cost of goods. Samaria’s inhabitants were reduced to paying high prices for unsavoury items like a donkey’s head or a few beans.
Perhaps the worst example is found in Revelation 6:3-6. In John’s apocalyptic vision, a sword-wielding rider on a red horse is released to “take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another.” This is followed by another rider on a black horse with a pair of weighing scales in his hand. The Apostle John heard these words: “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!”
The average worker then received one denarius for one day’s work, which would normally buy about sixteen quarts of wheat. If one denarius could only buy one quart, there would be nothing left for him to feed his family. Barley, being less nutritious, usually cost about half the price of wheat and was the staple food of the poor. Like the Syrian invasion above, war and inflation can form a potent combination that causes great suffering.
How should Christians live in this environment of inflation? Christians in Singapore can take heart that our conditions will likely be less severe than the scenarios above (at least for now). Nonetheless, we should take the opportunity to reflect on what it means to live as a Christian during such times.
Let me highlight five opportunities that this difficult time can offer us:
1. An opportunity to identify with the poor and those who suffer
As we experience the financial pressure from global uncertainty, we can remember the plight of the poor and those who suffer in our world. Many people, including our Christian brothers and sisters, suffer under political and economic circumstances beyond their control. There is also the poor in our nation and community that we often ignore as we pursue success and security.
Paul describes Jesus’ identification with our spiritual and human poverty in 2 Corinthians 8:9: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.” What does it mean to follow this Jesus who loves and redeems the poor?
For a start, we can pray for the poor and those who suffer. We can also ask God to remove any spiritual blindness we may have toward those around us who are suffering. Some of us may be moved to help or reach out in practical ways.
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In the counter-cultural economy of God’s kingdom, sacrificial generosity means much to Jesus.
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2. An opportunity to practice generosity and hospitality
It is counter-intuitive to practice generosity and hospitality during such times. Yet we can remember the poor widow who gave her two copper coins in Mark 12:41-44. To Jesus, she had put in more than others who contributed larger sums that day. In the counter-cultural economy of God’s kingdom, sacrificial generosity means much to Jesus.
1 Kings 17 records an interesting encounter between the prophet Elijah and a widow at Zarephath. There was a severe famine in the land. Elijah was sent to this widow who was preparing a final meal for her and her son. He told her to change her plans: give him some food first, for God would multiply the flour and oil that she had. Her obedience and hospitality toward the unusual prophet paved the way for a miracle of provision that sustained her family through the famine!
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Paul reminds us that we are merely stewards of what God has blessed us with. We do not own our possessions forever, nor can we bring them into eternity.
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3. An opportunity to practice contentment and simplicity
Use this time to consider Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 6:6-7: “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.” Paul reminds us that we are merely stewards of what God has blessed us with. We do not own our possessions forever, nor can we bring them into eternity.
Have we been caught up in our modern world’s ceaseless pursuit of more pleasure, possessions and wealth? Have these pursuits distracted you from what is truly important? For some of us, this is an opportunity to simplify and reprioritise our hectic lives. Expensive and time-consuming hobbies can be replaced by time in God’s Word. The fleeting joy of the latest purchase can be substituted with quality time among loved ones and friends.
4. An opportunity to share the hope we have in Christ
One way we can alleviate the anxiety of those around us is to share why we have hope and peace. Share testimonies and stories of God’s faithfulness, of how God has provided in the past and how God has given you peace in troubling times. Tell your worried friends that they too can trust in and call out to Jesus. Offer to pray for them and their needs.
In the beloved parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, it was only when a famine arose and his money was all spent that the wayward son began to think of his long-suffering father and home. Our Heavenly Father can use such times to turn hearts back to Him!
5. An opportunity to walk in faith
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2 Kings 7:1-2 (ESV)
But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord: thus says the Lord, Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.” Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “If the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”
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What happened with Ben-Hadad’s siege and the resulting famine? God eventually engineered a miraculous series of circumstances that caused the invading Syrians to flee. He spoke through the prophet Elisha that food would be available and that prices would come down. However, there was a commander who expressed doubt in God’s ability and, as Elisha predicted, he did not have any part in the eventual blessing.
What about us today? God has promised in His Word that He will watch over His people. Inflation cannot destroy those who trust in God. But don’t allow it to destroy your trust in God. Paul’s words in Romans 8 are particularly appropriate during this time:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35; 38-39)