Under New Management

Under New Management

I came home last night from visiting a friend and as I walked through the door I realized, I had all the money that my heart could desire; I have the biggest home in the neighborhood; my butler had my bath water ready for me and my son was perfect!

Wait, wrong house! Nobody has everything they want or hope for in this world. This also applies to our current government administration and coming election… it’s driven by hope.

I don’t normally write about politics but in viewing the news; Facebook and other media…How can you not write about it. See the government and elections have nothing to do with experience or ideology. Our current views and prayers are all based on hope; we hope that things can and will get better under new management.

We all hope for a better America; an America with an improved economy and lower unemployment rates. We all hope for peace in the world; and for leaders who will do the right thing for the people’s sakes, not for some political party’s sake. We cannot put all our hopes on a single leader. I hear a lot of bashing and negativity towards our hopeful new leaders. Like everything else we do, we need to see what God says our stand and reaction towards our nation’s leaders should be.

1 Peter 2:11 – 17 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, and honor the king.

The Lord says we are to be submissive to our new leader –‘end topic’. We are to show respect to everyone; not just those we happen to agree with. God is saying that if we are Christians, we MUST show Christian attitudes in what we say about people and how we react to them, especially our leaders.

Whoever is going to be our next president, know that it’s okay for you to disagree with his stance on things; it is not okay for you to be disrespectful to him or bad-mouth him. America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

We choose hope over fear; unity of purpose over conflict; proclaim an end to petty grievances/false promises; stand against recrimination/and old dogmas… these things have assassinated our stand on politics for too long. How can we help to build a better America?

 WE STILL NEED GOD’S HELP AND GOD’S BLESSINGS IF AMERICA IS TO GET BETTER OR START OVER!

God’s very specific about this, he says we need to pray; we must live righteously and we must tell others about Jesus. Ok, so you probably have heard that before. You probably are already doing this. Do you know why he says this…I’ll let God take it from here:

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

James 5:16 the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

We are too focused on condemning other people specifically those we don’t agree with. We see this everywhere not just in politics. Jesus didn’t come to condemn, he came to save everyone. He loved everyone enough to offer them salvation. And if Jesus did not come to condemn others, why do we spend so much time and energy doing it? Wouldn’t a more Godly, and righteous, approach be to care enough about them to pray for them?

Revealing a politicians negative aspects and influences of their past might seem a great way to turn votes but God is bigger than that! If he can turn the heart of a man from torturing and killing Christians (Saul) to the point where he became a powerful leader (Paul) in God’s name, I’m sure he can turn the heart of a politician no matter what his past circumstances. What seems impossible for man is possible for God!

In the face of stiff opposition, we are to be thoughtful and considerate of others. We should be different from the people of the world. We are called to be a shining example of love and kindness.

Soon, our nation may be under “New Management” and it may, or may not be, the management you like. But it is the management that God allowed to be in charge. You can make America better by living a life that reflects the clear image of the Lord to others around you, both in what you say and in what you do.