I am no politician but I love politics and, like many, I am concerned about the enormous national debt and the wasteful spending from those elected to serve our country. Recently, I challenged our church to take a 90-day challenge which would require us to do four things.
1. Be thankful at all times
2. Live below our means
3. Give generously
4. Look for opportunities to serve
I wonder what our country would look like if our government leaders followed the same principles. I offer my predictions below.
1. Be thankful at all times
Instead of fearful predictions of gloom and depression, our government leaders should tell us the realities of our challenges, but also remind us of our enormous blessings. We have a highly trained work force and we have incredible creativity and imagination. The computer, the airplane, and automobile are all products of American ingenuity and with the encouragement of our leaders the next generation can create the new marvels of the world. God has blessed our country and we should stop often and give Him thanks and remember that He was our source yesterday and He is our source today and tomorrow.
2. Live below our means
I am convinced the reason so many Americans live with out of control debt is because our government leaders set the tone. Debt is a silent killer. It traps its victims and strangles them with burdens that are too heavy to bear. I know this sounds simplistic, but why can’t we determine the amount of revenue that will be collected and set our budgets to a lesser amount. We must tell our elected leaders that we do not expect them to solve our problems, but we do demand good stewardship and reasonable taxes.
3. Give generously
America has always been one of the most generous nations on earth and that is one of the reasons God has blessed us with abundance. The people of our country want to give to others and they want to bless those in need. We need to champion this idea and allow for generosity. We should reward those who give with even more tax credits and give the individual the freedom to decide where they wish to contribute.
4. Look for opportunities to serve
Every recession reveals the character of our nation. I still believe most people want to serve their fellow man and most of us would sacrifice to see others blessed. This season could fuel a new revolution of service and inspire the millennial generation to give their lives away for something bigger than themselves. I challenge our government leaders to stop living for the next election and to lead the way by doing the right thing for the right reason even if it means losing an election. Jesus was a servant who was a leader, not a leader who served. We must be servants at our very core and see leadership as something we do only when absolutely necessary.
May 26, 2009 at 11:01 am
You are so right on this Pastor Brady. I’m no politician either, but I do agree with you that our politicians need to be accountable to the people who voted them into office. Good leaders set an example, whatever their political affiliation may be.
Unfortunately too many people give or serve and expect something back in return….the old “give to get” mentality that has dominated the church for far too long. It’s time for America’s churches to take their focus off of themselves and turn it onto others–to serve others just for the joy of serving. Jesus said that people who give or serve to be blessed by men have already received their rewards in full. The saying goes that integrity is doing the right thing even when no one else is watching. Jesus modeled this perfectly in His life, and we should too!