Little is Much When God is in It

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. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

I mentioned in yesterday's post that when people try to take religion out of a society, they take away its spirit or hope. Our society was born upon the Christian faith (whether practicing or not) of men determined to see individuals rule themselves.

It was a belief that stemmed from seeing good willed men and women work together for the common good throughout history. The good they pursued was founded in belief, a belief that was to spread faith, hope, and love.

Over the centuries many in power have tired to take this faith hostage in order to satisfy their demented power lusts, but for some reason the faith never changed and those lustful pleasures never outlasted the persons. I hate what people attribute to Christianity. Those who used Christianity in harmful and hateful ways are not, in my opinion, Christian in truth or in heart.

Jesus tells us that the truth shall set us free, not overcome our desires and passions with evil intentions. He came to deliver from bondage not to set up a new system of rules and regulations. He came to show us that we through the work of His Spirit are capable of rising above the law; the law that does nothing but show us error and not how to correct that error.

In fact the Bible, clarifies nine principles of living which, only through the Holy Spirit, enables us to do the right things, do things right, creates a positive atmosphere, and builds a lasting legacy of accomplishment: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control - against such their is no law! No one will ban you from possessing such character defining acts.

There is a Christian gospel song that says, "little is much when God is in it." When we as a nation lose faith, we have very little to fall back on because we do not have any morality to support our national history or our nation's law structure. This is why we need to turn to God in this tumultuous time. As Isaiah says, "the government shall be upon His shoulders."

Atheism does not offer any structure or hope. Islam offers a new strict law system. Hinduism offers peace when we stop caring for those "beneath us" (the caste system). Buddhism offers honor in death but dishonor offers little, if any, reconciliation. I could go on but to what point.

Only Christ offers love, hope, and peace. This doesn't mean we will have a perfect life. It doesn't mean all problems will be solved. It doesn't mean some will not try to take advantage of others. It does mean:

1. He will enable us to do the right things - His Spirit will teach us the right goals. Right now, our nation needs goals that will give us direction, not a new socialist agenda that will forever change and harm our community.
2. He will enable us to do things right - Too many people do things with the wrong motives, even though they may be doing the right things. God empowers us with His Spirit to do the right things with the right motivations. This is what I fear is the most underlying problem with our current legislative differences. People really are trying to do the right things, but they have the wrong motives. God helps point us to the correct attitude needed to govern ourselves.
3. He will enable us to create a more positive atmosphere - Failure produces character, as they say, but with God nothing is a failed attempt. True success for our economy will not reside in how much money or status we recover, but it will prove whether or not the character of our nation still stands for something. The Democrats, as good as they may believe their intentions to be, are challenging the very threads of our national character. Republicans, on the other hand, allowed our national character to be suppressed by not listening to the people. Listening to God through prayer and fasting will help us make the best and most necessary corrections in our character - not overhauling the whole system.
4. He will enable us to build lasting quality in the legacy we leave behind - The great American experiment has lasted through many tests and trials. It has overcome many tenuous and ardent complexities such as Apollo 13, Vietnam, the oil crisis, and 9/11. The risk we take if we leave our roots, will lead us to stop building a legacy that will endure for future generations and will lead us to begin creating one that will burn up and tear us apart. Socialist agendas are like buildings made of wood, rubble, and hay - they do not last (just look at the communist break down of Russia).

Yes, our government needs to act. I am praying for them to act with prudence and wisdom. True wisdom, however, only comes from humility and seeking the face of God. What are your thoughts on this? Let me know in the comment section (no hateful or unkind thoughts will be posted).