I’m not an economist, of course, nor would I pretend to know what is going to happen to the world’s economy in the next few years. Nor, frankly, does anyone else know this for certain; the world is far more complicated than most of us realize.

But even if we knew the world was headed for an economic crisis, this doesn’t mean we should sit back and do nothing. If anything, we should be more diligent and more responsible — paying off our debts, saving and investing what we can, educating our children, giving generously to God’s work, and so forth. If everyone did this, our economic problems might be solved! The Bible says that “diligent hands bring wealth” (Proverbs 10:4).

I can’t help but think in this connection of the prophet Jeremiah. He repeatedly warned his people that God’s judgment was coming on them because of their sins. When it came, he warned, their nation would be destroyed (which it was). But in spite of this, God told Jeremiah to go ahead and purchase a field from one of his relatives. Eventually, God told him, times would change and his descendants would be able to use it (see Jeremiah 32:1-15).

The most important thing for you to do, however, is to put Christ first in your life, and to trust God for the future. The Bible tells everyone “not … to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17).