Destined to Win

A nation in debt. Uncertain times. The Unemployed. A mortgage meltdown. The disintegration of the family. Global unrest. Terrorism. This has been a year filled with both opportunity and challenges, promises and perplexities. Change was the word of the day and for some the changes were not at all what they expected. Now we are poised even closer to the intersection of the old and the new - 2011 to 2012.  It won't be long until we will be stepping into a brand new year and we wonder if it will be the same as the last or could we dare hope for something different - something better, sweeter, richer, healthier, more hopeful?

As we prepare to step into 2012 there are three areas that we need to strategically and intentionally strengthen. As we commit to this purposeful plan we can be assured that we do not have to go it alone. As we embrace each of these principles it will empower us to not only survive but thrive in 2012. Could it be we could even hope to win the war on disease, debt, distress, discouragement and depression that has launched an invasive attack on so many in 2010?

Let's take a look at these three areas that could very well position us to a place where we can really be "Destined To Win." Why don't you join me on this journey and believe with me the best is yet to come?

I. Faith

For some of us there have been some real defining moments in our lives where we recognized we needed a faith in someone greater than ourselves. There are some things that only God can do. After all, He is the Potter, we are the clay. He is the Creator and we are the created. We were born for such a time as this. We were built for the storms. We were created to praise. We've realized that the place of our power is often the place of our pain.

I'll never forget the night many years ago when my little red Vega Chevrolet car was spinning out of control on a rain-slicked road headed directly for a telephone pole. There was no one I could call to arrest this impending disaster. I could not intellectually will the car to stop. You see, there are some things that are bigger than human capabilities. I know there are those who struggle with that concept and have erroneously convinced themselves "they" are all they need. However, from the time I was a child I was taught and have embraced with everything in me that "faith in God" is not a religion but rather a personal relationship with an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient Savior who absolutely, unequivocally cares for us. Miraculously, my spinning car completely stopped within one foot of that pole. I sat there shaking but somehow knew that by divine intervention my life had been spared.

As we prepare to step into 2012 we need to make a renewed commitment to anchor our faith securely in the God of the Word and the Word of God. Never have I seen such love displayed or such grace given as when I experienced Him for myself. It took faith for Noah to build an ark when there had never even been a prototype. It took faith for Abraham to believe he could become a father at 100 years of age. It took faith for Moses to believe that if he raised a simple stick, a rod, the Red Sea would divide and 2.5 million plus people could cross without the aid of a bridge. It takes faith to believe that in spite of your present circumstance, your current crisis, your debilitating disease that God will take care of you in 2012. Some have said faith is only for the weak and the mindless. How wrong that assessment is. The most courageous people I know are those who chose to believe and have faith in God through every storm, in the face of their adversity until their faith became sight. Let 2012 be a year of an unshakeable faith in an Almighty God who makes no empty promises, who fills the lonely soul with Himself and gives hope where there is none.

II. Family

As we step into a new year I truly believe we need to renew our commitment to the family. We are living in a day where there are so many "time stealers." Due to work schedules, fragmented homes and a litany of other issues "family time" for some has almost become a thing of the past. An antiquated relic of yesteryear. There are some things we've just got to take back. A return to the landmarks that made this nation strong. I heard it said many yeas ago, "A strong family makes a strong community. A strong community makes a strong city. A strong city makes a strong state. A strong state makes a strong nation. A strong nation makes a strong world."

Let 2010 be the year of the family. Make sure you spend quality time with your children. Don't allow the television to become the baby-sitter for the kids and an opiate for the parents. When I lived in the country of Haiti as a teen-ager we had no television. So after the evening meal and the homework had been completed, as a family, we would play board games by Coleman lamp (due to the nightly electrical blackouts) or get out our musical instruments and produce a marvelous concert with no audience other than the "Mann Family" (That's us.) That may sound extremely simplistic but for us it was building memories that would last for a lifetime.

Today, of course, technology has advanced with the invention of the WII and a host of other innovative things for families to do. I think the most important thing is to guard tenaciously your time spent with your family. I am equally concerned with all the texting on our cell phones that we've lost the art of really talking - communicating. I know you already know this but make every moment count with your children for they grow up far too soon. Instill a sense of security and stability in them that will empower them to live in an unstable world and make a positive difference.

III. Finances

I have watched, just as you have, as major corporations have collapsed and then were "bailed out" (what a term) by the government. I have seen the effects of joblessness on single mothers. I have observed as the stress of too many bills and too little money has taken its toll on the health of those struggling with debt. My conclusion is simply this. Methodically, intentionally, strategically and purposefully we must decide to get a grip on our finances and set a goal of becoming "debt free." For those who are already there (debt free), I applaud you and encourage you to stay that way. The truth of the matter is, the Scriptures are so accurate when it says that the "borrower is servant to the lender."

You probably didn't get into debt over night and you probably won't get out over night either. Just start by making a quality decision to win the battle over debt in 2010. A great place to begin would be by studying and following the guidance of a great financial expert such as Dave Ramsey. Learn to set up a budget and stick to it. Set up an emergency fund. Consider multiple streams of income rather depending on one source of a salary. It's O.K. to think big (I sure do) but sometimes you've got to start small. Take baby steps. Don't be discouraged if you can't seem to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. You might have to earn your way out of debt but it can be done. Be a wise shopper. Coupons are really not a bad idea. You might want to check out Ebates for some bargains. Don't forget to be a "giver." Irreguardless of what some may say tithing and giving are biblical principles that are relevant for the 21st century culture. The "open heaven" spoken of in Malachi chapter three is not some antiquated myth. I would encourage you to try it (God said, "Prove me.") I have and it works.

You can tell how many seeds are in an apple but you cannot tell how many apples are in a seed. Everything begins with a seed. The mighty oak began with an acorn. That wiggling bundle of destiny wrapped up in your child began as a seed. The book of Genesis tells us that as long as the "earth remains" there will be "seedtime and harvest time." I believe 2010 is going to be a year of exponential harvest for those who have sown seeds of their time, their talents and their treasure. Yes, I'm one of those who believe you were "Destined To Win." Having said that, there are some things you must do to reap the harvest and reach your goals. Begin now to take those steps. Don't allow self-pity or the "too-late for me syndrome" rob you of a Happy and Prosperous New Year. As Zig Ziglar says, "See you at the top."