I missed posting last week on account of being crazy sick. I am finally on the mend. So, I though I might pop back over and spill some of the thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head. It might be a little messy, but here it goes!
I have been thinking a lot lately about the government's role in my life. A few things come to mind. First, biblically, what role should I give the government in my life? Second, what purpose should the government have in social issues? Third, how do I respond to this? So, lets answer these systematically.
The purpose of this article is to help readers, especially moms, find their political voice. The problem is that, for Christians, there is a common worldview that tells us Jesus doesn't want us to get involved. We look at verses like Luke 20:23 "And He said to them, 'Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Or Romans 13:1 "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God."
So, we think that we need to keep religion out of our voting. The problem is that Satan doesn't play fair. He plays dirty. So, if we think we are doing the right thing by keeping religion and government separate, he is going to go right in to that broken system, ran by broken people, and exploit it.
John 10:10 says "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." You see, when we do not make room for Godly values in the system, Satan destroys everything. He wants to snatch joy from the American people by leading them down a dark path of which they cannot find their way out.
Five years ago, I believed that American's had no right to define the meaning of the word "marriage." I thought that we were spewing a message of hate when Christian families stood up and said that, because this was a Christian nation, they would not stand for an interpretation of the word from a non-Christian worldview. What person would look at that family and think "Well, I must be wrong! I should only marry people of the opposite sex! How did I not see this before!"
It is true that people are not going to be swayed toward Christ in that manner. And that SHOULD be at the forefront of our minds at all times because our greatest purpose is to share the good news. However, I have watched something happen over the last five years that I was too naive to expect at the start of this. I have seen homosexuality take over our nation as if it is common place. I have seen it go from a conversation about tolerance in the sense that we should give every person the benefit of basic human rights no matter what they do with their genitalia, to something much different. Now, as a nation, we believe that gay people are normal. We believe that this act of sin deserves timeless recognition and is the ultimate sign of bravery.
In this country built on strong morals, Satan has twisted our ideals and made them fit his mold. He has presented homosexual behavior as delicious and classy. It is fun and it is modern. And if you hate the sin, then you hate the person, because the person cannot separate from the sin. In fact, it isn't really even a sin. It cannot be controlled.
You see, rather than admitting that they prefer sin over God, Satan would have them believe that there is no need to choose. By creating a lifestyle and culture around acts of homosexuality, these behaviors have become normalized in only a few short years.
Is it wise for us to stand back in this case under the guise of separation of church and state? Or, should we meet Satan where he is at and fight him toe to toe? Make no mistake, he has seduced the liberal community into the idea that freedom from moral absolutes is the ultimate pursuit of liberty.
Now that their eyes are glazed with the victory of freedoms for the homosexual lifestyle without the guilt-trip, they are fired up for the fights to come. They will continue to fight for genocide in the name of abortion, power to control the minds of our children in the name of free education, and attack healthy dynamics in the name of woman's rights.
Be weary, my friends. Be as shrewd as vipers, yet as innocent as doves. Satan is on the offensive. He is seeping darkness into every crack and crevice that he chips away until no one can recognize the light any longer. We need to fight for the light. If we do not, then it will be harder for our children to recognize the difference.
It is no longer enough to say that it is un-constitutional for our government to get involved in these social issues. An idea like that only works if there is an outside source, like the Bible, governing moral behavior. As this is no longer the case, people have naturally looked to the government to fill that void. They have made the government their God, their moral compass.
So, how do we respond? Well, for starters, we should fight those laws that would further erode the moral compass of our society. It may not be constitutional. But, if we let that be the hill we die on, Satan will use that to his advantage. So, I personally, wont stay quite about moral issues any longer.
More importantly than all of that, however, is to live a life of light. Matthew 5:16 says "...let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Let us show the world that there is a better way! Not in a hateful way. But, in a way that points to the glory of our God. Let the world see the joy and love that abound in a God honoring family. But, don't just model it for them. Invite them in. It is not enough to Tell the world how godly men live. It is not enough to Show the world how godly families function. If we want to affect a change in our culture, we need to INCLUDE them.
How many people today have not been a part of a healthy family? I know I never was before I got married. That sure has made it hard to know how to do it right. And it didn't help that the people who seemed to know how to do it right wanted nothing to do with me. I was too much to deal with. I was too draining.
Yes, being around sinful attitudes can be draining. We make excuses that we need time to regroup, recharge, and reconnect. The truth is, we need to hit our knees in prayer more. We need to empty ourselves and ask God to fill us up as he promised to do in John 4:14. There he promised "...but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."
We need to open our homes and invite people over for dinner. Maybe we need to consider foster care. Maybe we just need to have our home open for our kids to invite friends over. It might help to be more open with the people we run into throughout our day. Amidst the craziness of carpooling, grocery shopping, and letter mailing. Can we stop corralling our kids long enough to look up and strike up a conversation with the person next to us? Can we glimpse into their live and let them glimpse into the joy of ours? It just might change someones perspective! It seems worth a try to me. I know I am going to try harder this week to let my life be a light and I pray that God opens your heart to do the same.
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