The American Dream of owning a home, getting a good education, and finding the perfect career has turned into The American Nightmare for many.  Why?  What went wrong and how do we fix it?

Over the last several years, I’ve been studying the differences between why some are more successful than others financially.  My study began just prior to my own financial ruin.

No degree.  No real skills to say other than a smattering of construction, carpentry, and restaurant jobs set me up perfectly for a career in banking back in the mid 1990′s.  Really?  Hmmm?  Upon high school graduation, I left for Navy bootcamp with the dream of a 20 year naval career.  Seven short months and a medical discharge later, I was at home without a clue what I was going to do with my life.  My plan was busted just as I was getting started.

As a result, I started taking some college classes and working in residential home construction as a gopher.  Go fer that, ya know.  I hauled more lumber and cleaned more job sites than I care to recall.  It was going well, I thought, until I lost my job suddenly following a minor injury on the job.  My boss told me I had become a liability on the job.

Next, I started working in a carpentry shop building custom furniture.  For extra money, I waited tables at night and worked into bar tending.  I did ok, but never stopped working.  I was restless and anxious about what I was supposed to be doing.  What I didn’t realize was that I had a character problem.  I faced several adverse challenges and didn’t know how to handle them.

Over the years, I’ve had friends and colleagues share about how Adversity builds Character.  My good friend Paul Carag put it like this, “Adversity actually reveals character.”

I thought that once I got into the banking business my career path was chosen and would be successful always.  I’ve since grown to realize that it was only a stopping point and training ground.  See in 2001, I took over the mortgage department for the bank I worked at and have spent the last 11 years working in the mortgage industry as a loan officer.  In 2010, I opened my own small shop.  Sounds great right?

The only problem was that my income fell apart after the 2007 – 2008 crash.  In less than 13 months, 15 years of savings dwindled to nothing.  I turned to God for guidance.  Now for the last 5 years, I’ve been studying prosperity and wealth from God’s word with a passion to help others avoid some of the American Dream lies that the world propagates.

Let’s start in the Garden with Adam.  Do you recall God’s charge to him in the Garden?

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.  Ge 2:15

It really is quite simple.  By design, man was made to work and care for creation under the hand of God.  We were designed to Produce for God.  The American Dream is about producing for self and for country.  It is a bit backwards.  How do we do it?

Since early childhood, many of us were raised by loving parents who taught us to go get a ‘real’ job and make something of our selves.  They were well intended, however, let me explain the flaw in this thinking.  Going out to get a job, although it’s not a bad thing, actually builds someone else’s visions and dreams.  We voluntarily and deliberately set ourselves up to become slaves to other people who are asking us to produce for them, rather than God.

It really is quite sneaky the way our enemy tricked us during the Industrial Revolution to sell our businesses and our family farms in exchange for a factory job or a career in Corporate America.  Today, so many people are facing unemployment and underemployment because they don’t know how to think for themselves and produce for themselves.

Unemployment lines are filled with people who want the Government to give them money and fix the problem.  In what way is that productive?

Please don’t get me wrong, there is a time when people need temporary help.  Unfortunately, our government’s solution is to make people more dependent on them by extending the unemployment benefits.  People don’t have to be creative when they have a check delivered each week.

We were made to produce.  Let me illustrate.  In the last 5 years, I’ve continued in the mortgage business with very little heart for the business.  I’ve struggled to gain new clients and obtain quality loans I can actually close.  As a result, my income has suffered.  I spent hours applying for new jobs in different fields with not even a single interview.

It was early 2010, that God told me to push harder with this message to free people like me who were trapped in this dependency lie created by man.  He asked me if I was ready to rely on him, to which I tearfully surrendered.

Today, I operate 3 companies.  I still have my mortgage company which is producing some revenue.  I also started M Power Learning Group, llc in 2011 with one of my best friends to educate families about this new, old, direction.  We are a start up company that started out on a ‘used’ shoestring budget and a lot of passion.  We’re not quite profitable yet, but our name is growing and the message is spreading.

Finally, I am extremely excited about our latest venture.  I formed EQui T Solutions Group in 2008 to start investing in real estate.  After a couple of deals and virtually losing everything we had during the economic meltdown, I set that business aside.  Within the last 2 months, a funding partner provided me with the capital to start that business again.  We are in full production now with our first 2 real estate flips which we expect to close by late August or early September.  We are currently looking for more deals to structure.

The point is simple.  If you are struggling economically, what is God revealing to you about your character?  Are you persevering and growing in reliance upon him?  Are you coupling under the pressure hoping someone will bail you out with a new job?  Your character is under great pressure by the Creator.

Discomfort and pain can lead to the greatest revelations if you will listen.  God created you masterfully as He knit you together in your mother’s womb.  He gave you everything you need for life and godliness.  You are exactly where you need to be to become the man or woman God intends you to be.

I believe He is actively recruiting those strong charactered individuals who will take the challenge to stand for His kingdom.  Will you take the challenge to become an economic producer willing to fearlessly advance His kingdom.  Will you tap into the creative solutions God has already given you to not only provide for your family, but also to allow you to bless many others?

You are so ready for this challenge.  The question is not Why Can’t I do this?  The real question is How Can I do this?  The solutions are right before you if you will tap into God’s power available to all who carry the Holy Spirit within them.

You are His chosen child ready for such an inheritance!  It’s time to Produce!

God Bless You!

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