There are those in the Christian arena who believe we are getting the presidential election dilemma that we deserve: two people who are as morally corrupt as the majority of our nation. If God’s judgment on America for turning its back on Him is indeed in the near future, should we be surprised at all with how this presidential election has unfolded?
As a Christian, I believe in both the sanctity of human life and traditional marriage—arguably two of the most sacrosanct foundations of our faith. They are, however, no longer sacred here, but proudly abandoned. And, by the way, these two pillars have been undermined in recent decades by a Supreme Court that most considered center to right in their ideology. What makes you think the next justices appointed by either candidate will restore anything Biblical?
There are, of course, other serious issues that are also quite troubling. Look at the real numbers for unemployment (which include those who have stopped searching for a job), Americans living on government subsidy, and those living below the poverty line. We are the wealthiest nation in history with what was once the greatest missionary sending force the world has ever seen. How could the church sit back and let the government try to do what the Body of Christ should have ALWAYS been taking the lead on? Instead, the church has been mainly keeping the tithes, offerings, and service hours inside its own walls for some time now.
How could we, the church, allow a government full of politicians (from both parties) who don’t know when to leave office and who have run up a national debt that can never be repaid guide this nation forward? It seems that most principled men and women, once elected, slowly become compromised in their convictions and latch on to retaining power and padding their pockets.
And what can I say about the media? There has been no such thing as unbiased media for some time now. You simply can’t trust the veracity of any source anymore. To be sure, those leaning right have their own network, but the left sure seems to have every other media outlet and Hollywood doing its bidding.
This is not to mention other troubling realities found inside and outside the church like pornography, infidelity, hypocrisy, gluttony, etc. There doesn’t seem to be a lot we are doing well right now, and moral depravity is on the march.
So, how in the world do we have joy? How do we navigate this increasingly negative environment without going numb? As the funny one-liner goes, “the upcoming meeting of the apathy club has been canceled due to a lack of interest.” How do we keep our passion and hope in the midst of a lost and dying world? Here are three action steps that need no elaboration:
- Pray for our country, ask for forgiveness, repent
- Lovingly stand up for biblical values in your sphere of influence
- Help those in need in literal and practical ways