The current debate in our nation highlights the growth and near total monopoly that politics plays in our lives. From our health care to our churches, very little escapes the grip of politics and political manuvering. Could it be that the American development of this strange behavior leads to the ushering in of events of biblical porportiona?
Absent today in almost every area of life is true leadership. Substituted instead is "consenses". Classes are taught everywhere on how to develop consenses in order to acheive change. Compromise is the main tool of consenses. Ask anyone today and these two words will be used as vital in every aspect of our life. But what do they cost? What is lost when leadership is exchanged for popular opinion. Do we remember another word - conviction? In the spiritual sense what happened to thus saith the Lord?
Throughout the Bible examples can be found that highlight the challange of this post. None better fits than the life of Nehemiah and the children of Isreal. The children called for compromise while God's servant Nehemiah held fast to caling and conviction. The result was real leadership and Gods will being accomplished. Lost was consenses and personal agenda. The emotions that led to a desire to return to Egypt and thus forfeture if God's blessings were curtailed by convictional leadership.
Nehemiah knew the heart of God and was determined to see God's will accomplished. He led in the face of conjecture and criticsism. He forged the path while others abandoned in the grasp of fear and discord. Maybe it helped that Nehemiah had been a lowly cupbearer. It is possible that Nehemiah was a little stubborn. Obvious was the simple fact that he cared more about God than the ideas and praise of people.
God blessed!
Today we need more Nehemiahs and less children. We need conviction and less politics. Our nation, families, churches, and communities are reaping the poor results of politics. Our children and teenagers will have little left in America if we do not see the diminishing of politics quickly.
The Apostle Paul actually challenged the church at Ephesis to remember that the ingredients of politics was activity of the old life - life without Jesus. The new life was and is to be monopolized by the virtues of Christ- His love for all people and His desire to see poeple accept Him as Lord of their life. Agendas lost and evil works put away. In their place would be substituted the nature and character of Christ which would be as a sweet smelling aroma to God.
No matter matter where you see it played out, politics stinks. Maybe our lives would smell a little better if we practiced convictional leadership.
At the least, God would be glorified. And that beats politics any day!
0 comments:
Post a Comment