MOULTON —
As we began the year 2012, we face a time of great uncertainty, especially economically. It is also a presidential election year with all of the rhetoric and promises that brings. And I think the solution does not come from our elected officials, the solution will come from each one of us. You see the nation of the greatness of this nation is that it is a democratic republic in which we can select our leaders. And it could be easy to blame them, but we have all parts and the troubles we have for we are reaping what we have sown. So I think we need not look for someone to blame, but to see what we can do. Recovery begins with we not they, and that’s what our Constitution tells us, we the people. Facing the uncertainty of a new year.
In our many discussions, we can see the source of our problem as big government, big corporations and big unions. And they have all contributed to our troubles. This week the Republicans had their caucuses and began to select their candidate for president and I am sure the Democrats enjoyed seeing them beat themselves up. And I am sure the Republicans have many things to point at what the Democrats are doing or not doing. But I think in all of these instances, we need to look at what Jesus would say. Andy Stanley in Recovery Road said that, “What would come to mind is what Jesus said in Matthew 7:3-5. And what he would say is you hypocrites you look at the speck in your brother’s eye and ignore the plank in your own. In the biblical definition of a hypocrite is someone who expects everyone else to do when you have the same trouble yourself.” Stanley went on to say that many look at faith through the filter of politics and what we really need to do is to look at politics through the filter of faith.
What we have really is that we have to look at ourselves and take responsibility for ourselves as Christians. We are really reaping what we have sown. We’ve had the blessings of great prosperity and we have a spending problem. We have not disciplined ourselves we have an entitlement problem, we are spoiled and we have a greed problem, and we have a failure of nerve problem. We see the solutions or at least we see the problems, but we do not admit them and we push them off onto others and he failed to look at consequences. What we need to do is take the plank out of our eyes and begin with we that is each of us individually and that’s where recovery will become.
Recovery begins with we not they Stanley says. That is each of us must look at ourselves and take the plank out of our own eyes and see where we have contributed to the problem to how we’ve used what we’ve been blessed with not feeling entitled but rather blessed to serve him. Are we living beyond our means, that we lack discipline. Have we had a sense of entitlement and not done our part. Have we a failure of nerve to do those things that we know we should even if there are consequences. Or we can find ways to keep pushing it on to our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren who will suffer the consequences. And maybe we are already too late.
But it’s not too late, let us put ourselves on the road to recovery for recovery begins with we not they that’s what the we the people in the Constitution means. And I believe the Scriptures teach us much about living a blessed life in Christ.
Facing the uncertainty of a new year. Recovery begins with we not they that’s what the Constitution tells us, we the people. It begins with us taking responsibility to discipline ourselves to not feel entitled and to have the nerve to make the changes in our own lives. But let’s not be a hypocrite, but rather take the plank out of our own eye before we seek to help the other. In this election year, let us not look to our faith through a filter of politics, but rather look at our politics through a filter of faith. For we are a Christian nation and this word will guide and bless us as we seek him.
Religion
January 6, 2012
Facing the uncertainty of a new year
Faith Notes
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