A Vision For A Better Future …
Wow! It’s almost that time again – where did 2022 go? The Christmas season is such a wonderful time of year! But I do think the shopping centres put up their decorations earlier and earlier every year!
Christmas is generally a time for families and friends to be surrounded by food, fun and laughter. The spirit of giving is truly alive during this season. Unfortunately, there is an ugly side to the joy of this festive occasion which appears after Christmas. It’s called debt, which sadly many people put themselves into over Christmas – buying food, travel related expenses and all the presents. Credit cards are maxed and pay later schemes get a working out.
I am not sure what exactly you want to call it, but it’s a dangerous system and a horrible process to get caught up in. Not to mention January and February bringing their own concerns of back to school costs with books, stationery and uniforms which can be worse with the pressure of debt.
Debt causes stress! Which can then cause anxiety together with other worries. But I believe it’s a unnecessary strain on people and families with a little forward planning and thinking. Debt can be avoidable. What it will require is vision. Vision for a better future, discipline, a more effective way to live and revelation to know there is a better way.
In today’s society there is an under lying current that encourages us to live with all the bells and whistles to keep up with technology and subscriptions. But the desire to have things are centred around our feelings and insecurities of lack, our inadequacies. Society fuels the image of perfection. The most powerful thing we can create is an image – an image of what we believe, an image of ourselves which fits into our vision of success.
So, what is success? For each of us the image of success will be different. For me, success is not about driving fancy cars or having a big house. It’s not about having or obtaining. Success, for me, is centred around character, integrity and being able to maintain what I obtain. I have a vision for our family and community to build strong families – to build a healthy functioning community and to see generations after generations doing well and not suffering in order to obtain, especially stuff that is temporary.
Whatever is our strongest vision will be our driving force. Today, society has many arising problems that are evident because of unnecessary stress caused by trying to obtain in a moment that cannot be maintained.
Without having a vision for our future, the only vision we have is our past. Which means we start looking back there and thinking we were better off before trying to achieve our dream. What we need is to choose a vision of our future that is healthy and work towards it. Any vision that is worth chasing will not become a reality in a week. We need to write it down and take a step at a time towards it. You don’t need to have it all figured out to move forward, you just need to take the next step, but in the right direction – to the future!
The first vision we need is a healthy vision of ourselves, of our family and then our community. We need a vision for ourselves – who am I, what am I, what do I want, how do I get there, and where am I on the journey to obtaining it. Don’t try and rush your process or get out in front of your vision because it’s one thing to obtain something but if you can’t maintain it, it will pull you down backwards into a worst position.
For example, if my vision on finances is not healthy, I will endeavour to obtain without the ability to maintain and will be drawn backwards under the shroud of debt, and when that debt is too great it will act like quicksand wherein the more I struggle the worst it will be.
I strongly encourage you to live within your means, save and put aside instead of obtaining quickly. For the long term and maintaining same you will see a greater return, a healthier family unit built on a healthy obtainable vision that has the ability to birth a generational future and a strong community. A purpose.
You have worth and deserve a better future… It’s up to you to believe who you are and where you are going. If you need help, please reach out, we are here for you.
By Peter Hartley
Senior Pastor,
Dunamis Church