Today’s newsworthy story is the Fiscal Cliff our government is facing. Without an agreement, tax cuts will expire and automatic large-scale spending cuts will be instituted. A compromise across political parties is needed to prevent our country from reaching a Fiscal Cliff that will affect our nation.
The Webster’s II New College Dictionary defines a “cliff” as a high, steep, or overhanging rock. To make it simple, you can only experience the consequences of a Fiscal Cliff if you are at a higher financial point and able to fall down. Many Americans in our communities experienced personal Fiscal Cliffs months, years, and even decades ago and have been living in the valley for a while. We must make positive financial changes in our budgets to ensure we are postured for the future.
The Church is at-risk and needs our support to mitigate consequences of a potential Fiscal Cliff. Everyone must sacrifice to keep the Church’s budget solid–Pastors, Elders, Ministers, Deacons, Missionaries, Ushers, Teachers, Mother’s Board, and Lay members all have an important part to play. The Church historically has been the bank, hospital, school, law office, and served many other roles. We must be prepared to keep the Church progressing in the fiscal sense. Do you remember how our government bailed out Wall Street and the Auto Industry? Well, do not expect them to bail out the Church, but that is our job to sustain it anyway. We must be frugal and keenly scrutinize the budget to ensure we are properly managing finances and not following the path towards a Fiscal Cliff.
The Fiscal Cliff our country is facing is projected to increase unemployment beyond the numbers we currently experience. While I hope our leaders work out a deal, we must work towards solving our own issues and not depend on them for our future. We can solve issues! We must stop talking about the problems in the country and begin implementing our own solutions.
Action Plan:
- Develop a solid personal fiscal budget to eliminate a Fiscal Cliff.
- Form a network of powerful, motivated people and be accountable to them.
- Assist others bounce back from years of Fiscal Cliff damage through financial education.
- Encourage and help one person/family in your local or extended community.
While helping others may not put money directly in our pocket, it is still the right action to take. We can teach our elected officials how to get along despite various differences. We can remind the nation that we are a peculiar people, and together we will prevent a Fiscal Cliff from occurring in our communities and also in our entire country.