Friday, December 4, 2009

Politics As Usual

In dim lit rooms through the ages, men have met to decide how to best maintain the status quo for the populace while giving themselves a leg up on whatever wealth and power was available.

Human behavior cycles, it does not change. So, the mistakes of past generations continue within the concentric circles of time. Knowledge and technology change the dynamics of how this business is conducted, but the flawed elements of the unrepentant human spirit remain at its core and keep the festering mass alive.

While some have gone into the making and keeping of government with optimism guided by the principles of their Christian faith, most come out crushed and dispirited, or tainted by the overwhelming urge to satisfy the basal instincts of power and wealth. Government is, in my belief, a way of keeping men from a constant state of turmoil. My bible outlines the commission of governmental operations in Romans Chapter 13. It also explains the proper role of those governed in response to the God ordained government. The text leads me to believe that God wants order so that men can spend time on doing other good things.

Many who are not believers point to things in the lives of believers that do not ring true. However, the believer who is in daily contact with God's indwelling spirit should reflect the fruit of the Spirit as found in Galatians 5:22: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Why then is it so hard for believers to maintain? Because we possess the same carnal nature as all others do. We have the will to choose which voice we will listen to. However, if the temptation is great enough, and the will to listen to our inner Spiritual guidance is not maintained with exceptional diligence, the strong urges of the carnal side will prevail. Non-believers ignore the fact that these same distasteful behaviors are at the forefront of their own lives. We are all given to finding fault in others in order to remove attention to the same or worse faults in our own lives. In psychological circles this behavior is know as "projection".

I think many of our founding fathers understood. They saw what great wealth and unrestricted governmental power could do. They gave us the United States Constitution to limit severely the size and scope of power of the Federal Government. They based our government document on the Christian principles found in the Bible. Our country was blessed and became successful. However, with this success came wealth and power. Once again, the carnal nature became the guiding force in the lives of many and the principles of the Spirit directed life were ignored in favor of the temporal pleasures associated with satisfying man's selfish interests.

We are now left with the transparent blame game (Projection) of pointing fingers in all directions to distract others from our own failings. Our collective complacency and desire of temporal satisfaction has brought us all to this point. Our national salvation will be a return to a Spirit guided populace and a return to the limited government outlined by our founding fathers. My Bible tells me that God is not mocked. He is the only entity with a Global plan that will work. Regardless of what happens in this old world, the ultimate victory lies in the hands of our heavenly Father. Man's disbelief and dependence on his own intuition and feeble activity will not alter the outcome.

My ranting satisfies my unrealistic belief that I'm perhaps doing some good, but I do understand who is ultimately in charge. I sometimes laugh at my own conclusions because they are so hard to support. We have all brought ourselves to this point, and the unraveling of this huge backlash is so complicated it defies our finite logic. I defer to the Master of the universe. I think we would all do well to humble ourselves before Him and seek his guidance. All things are possible when the Creator is in charge.

The news in our society is covered ad nauseam. I will continue to point up things in light of my own beliefs, but I will try not to simply pile on. Your comments of agreement and disagreement are always read and appreciated.


5 comments:

  1. I think you have stated our case well, Jeshurun has indeed waxed fat, and forsaken God.

    I will disagree with you on this point;

    ..."My ranting satisfies my unrealistic belief that I'm perhaps doing some good,"...

    For if this seed is sprouted in one mind, you have "done some good"

    Have a great day!!

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  2. I understand more with each passing day how frustrated the prophets of old must have become. They were common men given a specific message to deliver by our Heavenly Father. Look at the resistance and rejection they faced. The audience was much like the people of today, apathetic and indifferent. All we can do as modern messengers is be obedient and persistent till His return. Continue to speak the truth, even if just one is convinced.

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  3. Beautifully stated Dennis. I agree with Angrywhiteman in his one disagreement. You have done good.

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  4. Yes, Dennis, you do good. Your words shore up our beliefs / knowledge that we are doing the right thing too! We must stand united or divided we fall. Never give up. Never say die. :)

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