Become Informed! Romans 8:31
“It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and to humbly implore His protection and favor.” —George Washington; October 3, 1789 (Proclaiming a National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving).
We have no right to complain about something we have the ability to change. The gospel holds the transforming power of change. In a teaching by John Maxwell, he stated, “The problem with the church today is they don’t want miracles, they want magic.” He makes a very real observation: while Christians complain about wanting to change our government—hoping that abortion will become illegal and crossing their fingers, eager to see homosexual marriage banned— we actually do nothing to see those dreams become reality. We must not discount the supernatural power of God for one moment; the miracle-working power of God has never ceased. We need to let His supernatural power flow from the Church into our world. “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
Those who prefer to feel inadequate and choose to believe that one person cannot change anything, are truly mistaken. Numerous times throughout history the power of one person has changed the masses. Biblically speaking, Esther just one woman and she saved the Jewish people from annihilation. A more modern example is Rosa Parks; her one action, refusing to move to the back of a bus, ignited the civil rights movement and changed our nation forever.
John Maxwell points out that when a problem is recognized by few, and those few sacrifice to rectify that problem, regardless of the cost, that is when a miracle happens. This is what has changed this nation for the better in the past, and this is what is required in order to incite change in this nation for the future. We cannot hope that lawmakers do what is right or pray that activist judges have a change of heart. Without “we the people” fulfilling our role in government, the Constitution is nothing more than an antiquated mission statement penned over two hundred years ago.
The Constitution is not mere paper from antiquity only meant to be seen in museums or read about in history books. It is an active, dynamic document that is as applicable now as it was in its genesis. The same way we reference the Bible in search of our political freedoms. If we do not use our freedom to defend our freedom, we will lose our freedom.
Only enjoying fellowship with likeminded believers does not change the lives of the lost. New relationships must be forged. Jesus’ answer to this situation is expressed in the book of Luke. He was criticized for associating with the sinner, but that did not stop Him. He came "to seek and to save” those who were lost. Unfortunately, many Christians have translated the admonition “to be in the world, but not of it” to mean total and utter separation from the world. Christians isolate themselves—hoping that the problems in our government and society will disappear. At best, some are willing to pray about issues, but not willing to tackle them headon and get involved. That is not to undermine the power of prayer; rather it is being faithful to Biblical principles. God is not going to zap all of our problems away when we pray; he expects us to get busy and change the things we can change.
One of the great New Testament examples of a Christian engaging in his surrounding culture is when Paul was in Athens reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and debating the Greek philosophers in the marketplace. Because of his compelling secular argument for the gospel, he was able to connect with the world around him in terms they could understand and identify. He did not throw Scripture at pagans that did not know the Word; instead he used their knowledge and beliefs to turn their attention to God.
Today people feast on satellite news broadcasts, TV, and radio talk shows. Like the Athenians, our society avidly discusses all the latest ideas and philosophies. But are you able to represent your Christian beliefs confidently when your fellow citizens parrot the latest thing they have heard on Oprah? While some decry daytime talk shows, at least they attempt to address issues that people are thinking about. We as Christians cannot remain mum on these issues; we must stop letting the television set the terms of debate. Become informed! It is not the truth that will set you free; it is the knowledge of the truth that will set you free. Learn what truth is and let your voice be heard!
Devotion taken from Pastor Hagee's book Bible Position on Political Issues.
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