Hypocrisy for Hypocrisy

-
It is an election year and all those who make noise come out to make it. In the end it is a clashing of voices off key, and notes played from too many random songs to make it anything useful. You sit and listen to one person’s lies and then turn and listen to another’s, and somehow we are to decide which the liar is and which liar we prefer.

So how are we to look at this from a Godly point of view? First of all, we must be careful that we are not caught up in the racket. In the end we only end up making fools of ourselves. We must be sure that what we are putting out there is productive. It does not serve us well to tear people down. After all it was Jesus’ idea that we should love our enemy. (Matthew 5:43-48) I don’t think that calling them names is a good place to start in showing that love. You aren’t going to change someone’s mind with irrational comments fueled by an attitude that stinks worse than a pile of my infant’s dirty diapers.

However, wisdom spoken in love could actually penetrate a wall of mistrust and hatred opening a person up to what you have to say. That doesn’t mean that they are always going to agree with you but you are certainly going to make a much better impression. I know I have had my fair share of desire to rip into someone who was making fun of my views. It’s not easy but then let’s face it, God calls us to do the impossible, through him, not the easy thing.

Second, I think that as far as our decisions on things go we should always make a prayerful decision that we would choose what God wants. Sometimes that doesn’t always look like what we want or would even expect. How often have we prayed, “God let the person that you want win the election.” and then we don’t like his decision? Well, was God unfaithful or did He just pick someone you weren’t expecting, or wanting, for reasons that are beyond you? He does that sometimes you know. (Matthew 16:23) A person who is truly mature in the Lord will be able to choose as God would choose and are unimpeded by their own views of how things should go. The reality is God has a plan and you can either get on board or just watch it unfold.

So approach this election with prayer and be filled with the Spirit so that you speak wisdom and not foolishness. God gave us free will, yes, but know that no matter what you are safe in His plan for you and no one can take you from him. (John 10:28-29) No matter what happens with the economy He will provide. (1 Timothy 6:17) No matter how a government might try to control your life you have freedom in Him. (Galatians 5:1) No matter how many our enemies may be He is our strength and shield. (Psalms 28:7) And no matter how uncertain our country may seem we know that we are citizens of a kingdom, whose Lord is gracious and His reign will never end. (Luke 1:30-33) 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A God in Our Own Image

-
Image
It has always been interesting to me how you can meet so many people that all claim to believe in the same god, and yet their views of him and the ways that they describe his character are strictly individualistic. Or we can call those descriptions very “telling.” Their view of him is often small and flat…simple. To so many, the idea of god is a one-dimensional character with next-to-no depth or meaning.  Now, I recognize and fully support the concept of god being an individual, and that each person knows him differently. But one distinct difference is when I meet people who only believe in god as long as he matches and agrees with all their accepted beliefs. Therefore, the only response upon meeting someone that doesn’t think the same way and has a concept of god that is different, is to assume that the other person simply doesn’t believe in god. How arrogant. How truly conceited.  I have heard things like, “If you are a Christian, you can’t vote for so and so.” “How can you ...
Read more

The Storm

-
Image
The last few weeks…well, the last month or so have been some of the most challenging. I seem to find myself in these places often. The comforts and “guarantees” of the world are stripped away and I find myself fighting for a breath as the waves of this dark world crash over me. The beautiful facade that money and privilege afford society is pulled back and I see Truth. I see this place for what it truly is; dark, ugly, angry, selfish, fearful. I am tempted to build up my walls and be like them. The desire to become cynical rises up, but there is something in me that still calls me to be tender.  I lost my grandmother this past summer. I watched her pass from this world. It was not pretty or peaceful. It was painful and hard. I knew that in order to help my family with her care I had to shut down a part of myself. I knew that I had to set aside my own loss and pain in order to walk through that place. On the other side of it, alone, I allowed the pain to hit me.  In obedience, ...
Read more

Religion vs. Real Life

-
Image
A few days ago my husband and I took the kids to the park. We were in an area that we were not familiar with. We don’t know anything about anything or anyone in the little town nestled in the Virginia mountains.  There, along a river, is a small park. We pulled up and saw another family there. Allow me to add that, it just so happened that on this day, I had the courage to wear shorts. I have struggled so severely with my self image, and obsessed over hiding myself out of fear, that I didn’t even own a pair of shorts until last year when I got some because I just couldn’t take the Texas summer heat anymore. Still, I would wear them at home most of the time. But today, I was feeling free. I put on my shorts and took my kids to the park.  When we walked up to the playset, I could see that the family was dressed in…well, let's just say they were dressed in a way that would be obvious to most that they are part of a specific Christian religious group. I have zero problem with them...
Read more