What do you think of when you think of the words gross domestic product? An icky household cleaner, perhaps? Or a nasty meatloaf?

Really, the phrase has to do with money. Imagine all the workers in a country. The total value of all the products they make is called the gross domestic product. Here, gross means total. Domestic means inside a country. Product means value. When a country’s GDP is low, the people aren’t creating as much value as usual. If the GDP goes down a certain amount or for a certain length of time, a recession will start. If it gets worse, it will become a depression. That happened in the United States in 1929. You might remember learning about that horrible event. It made many people poor. It even won a capitalized name—the Great Depression.

Almost 90 years have passed since the Great Depression started. But people who lived during that time tend to treat money very carefully. Often, they do not like waste. Do you know any elderly people who have a hard time throwing things away? They may have grown up during the Great Depression.

One thing is sure: Depressions aren’t easy for anyone! But they are a chance for people to show good character. Imagine what it would be like to run out of money. Would you know how to act resourcefully? Imagine losing your job. Would you still want to share what you had with others? Most of all, would you still trust God to take care of you?

In Philippians 4:19, Paul says that “God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Just try thinking about how rich God is! He will always give you everything you need!