Listen to God
"A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?"
-- Jeremiah 5:30-31
We sure see this in our world today. Pastors preach what the Bible doesn't say. Politicians claim a Christian faith they do not live. Conservatives hold their Bibles high as they trounce on the poor and disadvantaged to further the coffers of the wealthy and well-connected.
Where is God in all this? Where are the actions that reflect the heart of Jesus? Why do we applaud those who refuse to help the poor among us? Is it because we, too, want to hold our money and possessions close to our hearts, giving only as we choose and ignoring God's call to help the least among us?
We're facing a tough election in less than two weeks. There's been mud-slinging, slanted ads and lies from all sides. Yet some are determined to vote strictly along a party line, refusing to research and choose the individual people best suited to represent Christian interests. Jesus didn't belong to a particular political party. He looked at a person's heart. So must we.
We also should look at all the issues, not just one or two. For some people abortion is the only issue. Certainly, it's important. But so is feeding and clothing and educating the children we already have in this world. And please don't tell me that it's the parents' responsibility. I know it is. But it is also my responsibility and yours. What if Jesus had said my sins or yours were not His responsibility and we could just pay the price on our own? Christianity is all about following Jesus and caring for others.
We also must consider the elderly. Some are skipping along just fine. Others must choose each month whether to purchase medicine, pay the electric bill or buy food. Some of the elderly are neglected and alone. What are we doing to care for them? Or do we live as though we believe that out of sight means out of mind?
In our area, gambling has been a huge issue. I wish people focused that much money and energy into taking care of the homeless or the working poor. And what about health care? No one wants to pay for it yet surely Jesus would expect us to see that the working poor had access to a doctor and medicine.
It's so easy to focus on the political party and one or two issues. It's easier still to listen to a pastor tell us how to vote. What a cop out! Study the issues and pray, pray, pray. Then vote the way God leads you to vote. Stop worrying about your pocketbook or your friends' opinions or the party line. Just listen to God, do what He says and everything will be okay.
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