I realize that there are many different feelings and opinions in the United States right now, even and especially, among followers of Jesus. I have felt torn and I know many others have as well. There are certain things about our current president, not only his character and history, but also his actions and the way he carries them out, that make me think we have genuine reason to fear. On the other hand, I know that our country elects its representatives so in a way, our two choices for president this term represented who our country actually is. I have to come to grips with that. We all do, even though so many of us are moderates.
So I wanted to write a blog today that doesn’t even try to speak to specific topics, because I recognize that I do not know enough. I do not know enough about the way things were in past administrations to be able to compare with the way things are and will be in this administration. There are so many lies flying around, and people are taking one sentence that may or may not be true and allowing themselves to form a complete belief from that one statement. Obviously, there are many more discrepancies and frustrations that could be brought up but I will stop there. I don’t have the time or the expertise to fully understand and research all the things I would like to. So I will stick to the basics, from God’s Word, to guide my heart and maybe yours if you are seeking a general direction in all the chaos.
What do we do now?
- We actually, really, truly get in prayer. We pray for the people who are suffering, regardless of whether or not we agree with what is happening to them, for example, the refugees that are dealing with broken promises, and of course, people in Ukraine and the Middle East. We pray as God leads us to pray. We take our agenda off the table and we let him lead us in prayer for guidance for our leaders, and those they appoint, whether we like them or not. We pray for the people that are very upset, people that feel like they have no hope, people that are confused, people that have lost their jobs. Far it from us to fail to pray for them in their suffering, if we are Christians, no matter how they arrived in their situation. This is call for mercy that true followers of Jesus must heed.
- We do good in the land we are living in. We should be the most excellent at our jobs. We should have the most life-giving words on our tongues. We do not need a government to tell us how to treat other people. We are generous people; we look for ways to serve. We do not use our leaders as an example if they are not wise, loving, servant-leaders. We respect them but we do not automatically or in any way emulate them, adore them, or put our trust in them. As believers, we treat people as Jesus would treat people, full stop.
- We understand that we are not here to make a Christian country club, expecting everyone else to love our God, our Bible, and our morals. We understand that if we are not being persecuted, if we are not suffering, if we are not the least and the small, if we are not powerless and poor and unimportant, we likely are not in step with the ways of Jesus at all because we are to be resident aliens here! Resident aliens don’t get the royal treatment! We must get a grip on understanding why the Lord has left us here on this earth for this time and get off our high horse. I am not saying that Christians should never have anything to do with politics, or with school boards that direct curriculum, etc., but there comes a time where a shift has to happen. This shift is from an idea of “everyone needs to do what I think is right” to “I am going to show God’s love in the actual realities of my country and this world today.”
- We have reason to fear because our nation and the world is not safe, but we do not fear because we have our hope in the eternal kingdom of Jesus. We do not fear because our Lord told us not to fear. In fact, He said only fear what can damage your soul, not your body, life, possessions, etc. In this time, we have to focus on our soul and the souls of others. As C.S.Lewis said, we are not just bodies with souls; we are souls that also have a body, a life, a short time on earth attached to them. Bad things are happening and will happen but when our souls are bound to Jesus, we find we are not afraid and we move from a life of self-protection to such a broader more beautifully open space.—————————————————-
Lord, please get our hearts in the right place so that we can be vessels for your spirit in this one life we have. Help us not allow ourselves to be blinded by all that we cannot change and all that we cannot do, missing out on who you want us to be and what you want us to do now. Amen.
