Marriner’s Moments: Emerging Victoriously: A New Day

By Pastor Melvin O. Marriner
Grove Church

Allow me a secular moment as I share some words from singer/producer will.i.am’s political compilation album, Change Is Now.

It feels like we’re swimming upstream
It feels like we’re stuck in between
A rock and a hard place,
We’ve been through the heartaches
And lived through the darkest days
If you and I made it this far,
Well then, hey, we can make it all the way 

It is a new day and a new year. While this song was inspired and produced by will.i.am as a tribute to President Barack Obama’s victory in 2009, some of the words still ring true in 2017. The President-elect’s victory comes with much acrimony and resistance from some, and praise, great expectations and hope for “making America great again,” for others.

As we enter this “new era,” might I suggest that rather than focusing on who is President, those of us who call ourselves Christian, focus on who is King? Life becomes more peaceful and palatable when we put our trust in God rather than man, and when we look within ourselves to find and walk in our purpose, instead of looking around for others to foster or change things. God has gifted each of us with a purpose, talents and gifts for such a time as this. 1 John 4:4 (KJV) tells us, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

Those of us who are truly seeking something new, different or better this year, understand that we cannot continue to do the same things, in the same manner that we did last year. Something has to change and that change starts with us!

I encourage you to emerge victoriously in 2017. Each of us has the unique power to discourage, ignore or rebuke external energy, propaganda and people. We have the power within to determine our attitude, our response and our destiny.
Peace and power

© Dr. Melvin O. Marriner,
Grove Church
January 2017