As I opened my instagram, I was bombarded with the news; the stock market has crashed? I didn't even run to another outlet to double check it's accuracy. Mind you: I get my news updates from the talking fish from Spongebob... not even from a news outlet. All I saw was that the S&P500 was down 3.5%, and this brings fear of a stock market crash, the Federal Reserve will have to make a move... Fear, fear, fear!!!

Fortunately, I had just enrolled in a stock market investing class, in the last month. In learning to invest, one of the first questions to guage our risk comfortability level was the question "how do you react when the stock market crashes? Panic, and sell your stocks? Or wait, and buy more?"

I learned that as you gain comfortability as an investor, the more seasoned approach is not to panic sell, but to BUY when the market is down!!! However, culture is all geared up to drive us into panic and fear, just like clockwork. They mention how bad it is, how bad it'll spiral, how castrophic this is... which is NOT exactly a great strategy to use as a news outlet, because the last thing you want is for more people to panic sell...!

But, if more people panic sell, perhaps another recession will happen, the housing bubble will crash, and Americans will finally be able to afford to buy homes again. It could be a miracle, appointed by God. We always perceive fear and listen to fear in the world. It's constantly created and put out for us to consume.

The scripture that came to me in this was James 4:4 “Being friends with the world makes you an enemy of God.” Listening to the world is not only exasting, filled with lies, leads you down the wrong path of destruction and fear, but it also will have you following guises, counterfeits, and lies. It's just not true that you should panic when the stock market drops... seasoned investors will literally tell you, HALLELUJAH, this is your God given opportunity to buy!

As you walk through the world, it's important to remember that the outer world is not your friend, and people are not your role models. They are not what they look like, for better or worse, we need to stop following the world blindly, and look within for the validation of truth. If information has the feeling of wisdom, kindness, maturity on it, it's words to follow. I'm reminded of Galatians 5:22-23 "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Words that are wise, bring comfort, and growth to you, are words to LISTEN to and follow. If advice or news brings you anxiety, chaos, fear... of course that advice is not from God! Don't listen to it or give into that fear for a moment! Most of the noise out there is something we should never listen to.

Do not listen, do not panic sell! Hold on to what you have... and in fact, buy more!