Dave’s Monday Blast – October 24, 2016
Americans are clearly frustrated by with their presidential nominees. But the French Philosopher Joseph de Maistre’s (1753 – 1821) maxim is certainly relevant today: “Every nation gets the government it deserves.” What kind of nation did the Founders envision? George Washington declared that “religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society.” Benjamin Franklin agreed: “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters. It begs the question, are we a “virtuous people” today or is our nation getting the government it deserves?
A Few Statistics:
- 1 in 3 girls in America become pregnant before the age of eighteen; 81 percent are unmarried. This is the highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world.
- Every year, more babies are aborted than the combined total of America’s war deaths across our entire history.
- 28,000 Americans access pornography every second.
- 9 out of 10 American youth ages 8 to 16 have viewed pornography.
- The courts have redefined marriage while more states than ever have legalized euthanasia.
- Only 35 percent of Americans believe in absolute truth; 93 percent say they are their personal determiner of moral truth.
It is not surprising that only 30 percent of Americans believe our country is going in the right direction. But the hope we need is not found in our candidates or in ourselves. John Adams was right: “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion.” Our hope for America is found in God’s promise: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
What should we expect of our leaders? They should be men and women who trust the Lord with all their hearts and should not lean on their own understanding. With leaders such as these God could make straight our nation’s path; unfortunately, we see little of any Biblical character qualities manifest in the lives of our present and future leaders. What can we do? If it’s true that a nation gets the leaders we deserve, Biblical character must start with us.
Next week I want to share some practical biblical advice for us to consider as we engage in the political process as INTENTIONAL Christ-Followers. The 3 P’S of Christian Politics from the Denison Forum… stay tuned.
