Bail Me Out?

My high school aged son's lunch  account sends me notices when he reaches a $5.00 minimum balance.  I just electronically deposited funds into the lunch account to last him at least month. The funding then shows up on my credit card at the end of the month.  My Netflix subscription and a view other accounts are backed by my credit card account.  My life is so much easier because of my credit.  The number of checks I have to write has decreased, I don't have to go to the bank as often as I would if I paid everything in cash, and I earn frequent flyer miles as I spend.

My second born son is in his first semester at college and we keep getting notices that he's spending money faster than we can replenish his account.  Again, we depend on electronic means to keep him in the black - with a little help from the bank.  (And, if we could just get ahold of him maybe we'd be able to share some money management tips.  It's scary to think about how much fun he must be having.)

What's even scarier is that this life as we know it, is changing.  If we believe what we hear in the news, the credit situation is in danger of freezing up and the banks will no longer be so 'free' with credit, even for 'good' credit risks like me.  I'm nervous that if I have to be a better money manager of my actual cash flow, which will definitely require some lifestyle changes.

Last weekend I preached on the Parable of the Talents. The idea I offered was that God wants the faithful to be risk takers, which requires taking risks in lifestyle.  The parable, the kinda-like story, used money as a lens into the character of God.  I prefer to read this from the perspective that the story wasn't really about money but about taking risks with the gospel.  

Some believers might ask, "Did God create this economic situation?  Is God involved here?" 

One message is clear, God wants us to risk some lifestyle changes.  Starting at the executive level right on down to the grassroots.

What can change?