02 Apr Puppies, Ice Cream, and Football! (Part 1)
What’s not to like? Everybody likes either puppies, ice cream or football! I simply wanted to distract you for a moment with something that you like, so we can talk about something that you may not like…your finances.
The last couple of years have been quite “challenging” economically. You haven’t been paying attention if this economy hasn’t affected you in some way, shape or form. Whether it’s been job loss, gas prices, food prices or your 401k going to a 104k, it’s been a very interesting couple of years. Here in Tennessee alone, lie some disconcerting statistics:
1) The average Tennessean owes $126,000 on his mortgage
2) The average Tennessean owes $27,000 on his student loans
3) The average Tennessean owes $15,000 on his automobile
4) The average Tennessean owes $65,000 on his credit card
Here is the good news! No matter what you are going through, the Bible has the answer just for you! The Bible has a lot to say about your financial situation:
1) There are 2,350 scriptures on finances
2) There are 126 principles of financial stewardship
3) There are more scriptures on finances than on heaven, hell, faith and prayer
That is way too much information not to talk about! What do you say…let’s overcome your financial crisis!
The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 7:14, “In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.” I want to center up on the phrase, “in the day of adversity, consider”. Remember this…adversity is simply a condensed period of personal discovery!
For adversity to be beneficial to you, you must do adversity correctly! The following sequence should help you greatly:
1) Adversity
2) Insecurity
3) Discovery
4) Opportunity
5) Victory
6) Demise of your enemy
Do you remember the story of the children of Israel as they escaped Egypt? They went through the aforementioned sequence. As they left Egypt, they experienced adversity. Then they were at the shores of the Red Sea and they could hear Pharoah’s army as they barreled down on the Israelites. This had to make them feel a good bit of insecurity. Moses then said, “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord”…discovery! Of course, the Red Sea opened…opportunity! They crossed on dry land…victory! The Red Sea closed on Pharaoh’s army…demise of the enemy!
There are four times a year my wife and my son get away to our favorite vacation spot. It’s about an 8 ½ hour drive. At the end of this stretch it is with great anticipation that we finally arrive on I-95. That means we are just minutes away from Exit 8! Now we are just 45 minutes away from our condo! We still have to go over a couple more bridges but for all intents and purposes, we are on vacation…it’s just a matter of time!
In the same vein, if you are presently on the road of financial adversity, the good news is if you’ll do adversity correctly…you are on the road to victory! Let’s discover how!
6 Opportunities to turn Adversity into Victory:
1) Prepare for Victory (Prov. 21:31).
Here the Bible tells us, “The horse if prepared for the day of battle; but victory is of the Lord.” I love college football! In football, everybody loves a bone-jarring tackle. A quarterback doesn’t see the defensive end coming and “boom!” he knocks the quarterback into next week! Everyone loves a bone-jarring, blind-sided tackle. However, most tackles aren’t that way at all. Most of the time the quarterback or running back will be moving and therefore the defensive player must “break down”. That means the defensive player must slow down a little and spread his feet. He gives up some speed and power for positioning. He prepares for the tackle.
From the aforementioned scripture, we learn that preparation is our part and victory is God’s part. He won’t do our part and we can’t do His part! Preparation time is never wasted time! In Genesis 41:14, Joseph is coming out of prison and the Bible tells us that Joseph changed his clothes and shaved. He prepared for where he was going. Remember this, don’t act and think like where you are, act and think like where you want to go!
When we first started Joy Church, we had a parking lot usher before we ever had a full parking lot. We had evangelistic counselors before we ever had one person respond to an altar call! I love to fish, so about four years ago we bought a fishing boat. Before we had bought the fishing boat, I had pictures like the boat I wanted for years. We also had an anchor and life jackets before we ever had a boat. Why? Prepare!
If you are presently out of work or simply in need of a better job:
1) Take an on-line course
2) Enhance your resume
3) Get your tech knowledge skills up to date
4) Get in shape
5) Invest in your leadership skills
6) Invest in your people skills
7) Talk to a successful business person in your field
8) Take them out to lunch and pay for it
9) Submerse yourself in victory scriptures
The Bible tells us, “This Book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Meditate in the scripture day and night, as your outward circumstances will never out perform your inward portrait.
In John 2:7 at the wedding feast of Canaan, Jesus told the servers to fill the water pots with water up to the brim. Then, of course, Jesus turned the water into wine. This is where human preparation met Divine victory! Preparation time is never wasted time! Prepare…you are on the road to victory!
Next week we’ll continue part 2 on “Puppies, Ice Cream and Football!”