Election day is finally over. While I am thankful the mean TV ads and endless phone calls will cease for now, here is what is on my heart.
- Our greatest ills are neither economical nor international but spiritual. While it is true that most politicians of both parties ignore some very important Biblical principles (the right to life, the definition of marriage as being one man to one wife, among others), it is equally and painfully apparent that most Americans do as well. The reason our economy is failing is that we have forsaken the One who blessed us with such a rich economy in the first place. The reason the world no longer respects us is that we do not live lives that encourage respect. Remember what God said through Solomon
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people – Proverbs 13:34
- The reason our culture is in a spiritual crisis is because Christians are in a spiritual crisis. You don’t blame the darkness for being dark. In fact, darkness is merely the absence of light. Our world is dark because we ignored Jesus’ admonition and we have hidden our light. We have placed so many other things ahead of God – sports, leisure, work, entertainment. In today’s culture, one is hard-pressed to observe the lives of a group of people and determine which ones are Christian based on how they live and what they prioritize. We have lost our distinctiveness, and our culture has not guiding light to point them to the cross. Rather than transform our culture we have conformed to it.
- The current spiritual climate of our culture is an OPPORTUNITY rather than an OBSTACLE.
If I remember my church history studies correctly, there was only one period in which the church enjoyed the widespread blessing of the state. That period was when the Roman Empire and the Catholic Church walked hand in hand down the road of corruption. In its inception and throughout history, the Church has actually fared much better under persecution than favor. Jesus taught us how to be a positive counter-culture in The Sermon on the Mount.Until we recognize and own up to our culpability, no elected official will ever straighten out this mess we are in. Our culture does not need a politician, economist, or social worker. Our culture needs a SAVIOR. We, the church, are the messengers God has called to proclaim His name. Election day is a once a year responsibility we should all take seriously, but proclaiming the good news of Jesus should be a DAILY occurrence. That’s what our country needs most.