I worry about our country. I ache to see it heal. I get mad and frustrated and disgusted and sad and overwhelmed and all of those other things that come with being an informed citizen. Facebook is where I see most opinions since politics rarely come up in my everyday conversations and I allow news shows VERY little of my time. I don't need the news to know how to vote or what to think. Amidst scandals, arguments, campaigns, mud-slinging and debates...God's Word remains unchanging and I don't have to know a whole lot about who said what to whom and what money went where...because frankly, anyone can find corruption anywhere. Corruption and greed and selfishness and arrogance can be found by anyone willing to dig deep enough...so I am released from feeling compelled to stay in the loop on all political soap opera conundrums. For any scandal brought up on one side, somebody can quickly and easily match it with a similar scandal on another. I know what I believe to be right, according to God's Word, and I stay informed enough to know who votes closest to that...then I'm done.
I have been spending time allowing God to speak to me about how some of the Biblical heroes handled this matter. The first person I thought of was Moses. He was in charge of a nation. This nation struggled with petty arguments, greed, foolishness, whining, and blatant sin. This frustrated Moses and made God's anger burn against this ungrateful nation. I look at Moses's leadership because most of the time, God was pleased with how Moses led. It seems to me that nearly every time Moses got frustrated with how the nation was behaving, he fell on his face before the Lord. He prayed! He cried out to God about his frustrations.
Next, I look to Daniel. My pastor did several sermons on Daniel recently. What struck me was this point: Daniel's life had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar had desecrated the temple, ruined the city, and enslaved Daniel and his friends. Nebuchadnezzar was a horrible, ungodly, arrogant, greedy leader...YET Daniel treated him with respect and longed for him to know God. There is no doubt that Daniel considered Nebuchadnezzar's ways to be appalling, even offensive! There is no doubt that he passionately disagreed with the king and other leaders of the country. Still, he treated them with respect. I'm guessing here...but I have a feeling that the way Daniel felt about the king and other leaders, and the way he treated them had VERY little to do with who Nebuchadnezzar was and EVERYTHING to do with the integrity of Daniel and Daniel's devotion to God.
Another thing comes to mind. God's Word tells us that the greatest commandments are to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.....and love your neighbor as yourself". It also says "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29. Finally, it says "The tongue has the power of life and death" Proverbs 18:21. There are many other scripture references on our words and our tongue. What I haven't found in any of them is some loophole where we are excused from these commandments if the person is a politician or happens to have a different opinion than we do.
So what do we do? We want to be activists, we want to be patriots, we want to make a difference...but you see, change starts with a heart change. I've never seen a heart change with gossip and name calling: Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs Proverbs 10:12. God is in the heart change business: The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;
He turns it wherever He wishes. Proverbs 21:1
We can point fingers and lay blame all day, but God's Word says clearly that it is not THOSE people that you disagree with that will cause the change. He says it begins with HIS people. 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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 I suppose the question now is, do we trust Him to do what He says He will do? God says that He WILL hear and WILL forgive and WILL heal...if HIS people humble themselves, pray, seek Him and turn from their wicked ways. HIS people. That amazes me. All of the energy spent on drama, conflict and debate could be spent on our knees and in His Word and THAT would make a difference. I am humbled and convicted by this realization.
So finally, I look to Daniel again for how to pray for my country: Daniel 9:7-19 is a wonderful prayer for a country. Insert "America" every time it says "Judah", "Jerusalem" or "Israel", it is relevant throughout most of the prayer:
Daniel 9:7-19
New International Version (NIV)
7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.
“Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”
Does this mean NEVER speak out? I don't think so. I know I've been called to speak out. For me, it looks like this: What I say needs to have no resemblance or even a nugget of gossip...even if it is all true. It should have a firm foundation of Biblical truth. I should speak the truth in love. Love for God, love for the lost, love for the broken, love for my country. And yes, sometimes even love-filled truth will upset people. My pastor said it best: Make sure it's only the gospel that offends and not us. You see, when we speak truth, everyone will not like what we say...still, we are told to stand and stand FIRM! The balance is to do it carefully, prayerfully, and remembering that we were all once blind.
Romans 12:17-18 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
I'll end with this: I was at a banquet last night. One of the speakers said exactly what's been on my heart. She gave firm and strong statements that were filled with God's truth, then she added this on the end: We say all of this, but we say it with tears....not shouting.
“Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”
Does this mean NEVER speak out? I don't think so. I know I've been called to speak out. For me, it looks like this: What I say needs to have no resemblance or even a nugget of gossip...even if it is all true. It should have a firm foundation of Biblical truth. I should speak the truth in love. Love for God, love for the lost, love for the broken, love for my country. And yes, sometimes even love-filled truth will upset people. My pastor said it best: Make sure it's only the gospel that offends and not us. You see, when we speak truth, everyone will not like what we say...still, we are told to stand and stand FIRM! The balance is to do it carefully, prayerfully, and remembering that we were all once blind.
Romans 12:17-18 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
I'll end with this: I was at a banquet last night. One of the speakers said exactly what's been on my heart. She gave firm and strong statements that were filled with God's truth, then she added this on the end: We say all of this, but we say it with tears....not shouting.
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