| What Are We Really Looking For? |
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After seeing several articles about achieving more "political diversity", a thought occurred to me: Doesn't this all seem a bit backwards? The mainstream media would love for us to believe that the entire country is lined up in perfect harmony, crying for the Republican party to step away from "staunch conservatism". That our current course will provide all the answers. But, the truth is, this is NOT a political issue (regardless of which side of the aisle you sit on) -- it's a HEART issue! Honestly, let's think for a minute: Where does the majority of the country REALLY want shared values to lead us as a nation? When folks like Bill Maher start seeing there's a problem with our President being so focused on celebrity status, instead of actually leading the country, that ought to tell us something! (I would say the same thing if a Republican President was at the center of a media circus! We need leadership, not a pretty mouthpiece!) To me, as Christians, these issues should not be simply Republican or Democratic issues, there's something much bigger at work here, and that is standing up for the truth of God's Word! When we get down to it, that's the only thing that will survive for all time (see Matthew 24:35). The direction of our country should NOT be determined by the views and values of the current party "in power". Whether you are a conservative, a moderate, or a liberal thinker with your political views, can't we agree that we want to stand up for freedom to preserve it? The only way we will truly achieve this is to stand up and put God and His Word back in it's rightful place of the most importance in our nation! The Bible makes a pretty clear promise: "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place" -- 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 -- New Living Translation). Seeking God has to start in each of us individually, but also in His house! It's way past time for the church to quit being passively aggressive towards the events occurring in the world! The church is great at pointing the finger at people for sin and mistakes made, but we suck at offering love and grace on the road to redemption! How can we truly affect the world if all we are doing is trying to avoid it?! It makes no sense! The church has retreated back into a country club mentality, and yet, we wonder why there aren't more people wanting to stand up to defend the values that we CLAIM to believe in! The point I want to make is that regardless of what we say or think, our ACTIONS say so much more than we ever could! What would happen if we took God at His Word? He says that when we put Him first, everything else that we have need of will be taken care of (Matthew 6:33). How would life change if we trusted HIM more than the government to give us the answers we need? When we truly stand up and plead for God to direct the hearts of our leaders, and that He will show them that their "face time" needs to be with Him, and not the nearest TV camera, we will be a people blessed beyond measure! "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance" (Psalm 33:12). |