I Wonder...

I wonder...

I know that it says that God sets rulers in place. Does that mean I should not vote? Or that I should not be careful if I do vote?

Hmmm. I think that voting is a part of being salt and light to the world. Salt is not only a flavoring...it is a preservative. I need to do what I can to bring light into a darkened world and to preserve whatever is good that is there. I think I should vote and that I should be praying and using wisdom in how I vote. I also think I should trust God for the outcome.

I wonder, though...

is God's primary concern who rules a country? Or is His concern about who rules simply an extension of a greater concern...whether the hearts of the people are turned toward Him?

There are examples in many places where God brought ungodly rulers in because He wanted to get the people's attention...people whose hearts were far from Him. He will use anything He can to wake us up. It just may be that our having an evil ruler will be just what is most needed for the people of this nation.

God could make sure we get a really good leader for our country...but will He if it means that His people remain complacent and far from Him? I don't think so. I see many people who call themselves "Christian", yet their behaviors and lives reflect anything but Christ. So, what "Christ" are they actually following?

I am not talking about the ones who know they are far from perfect and yet are trying to live right...the ones who are humbled and crying out to God for help to love Him above all else and to love their neighbor as themselves. I am not talking about the repentant.

I am talking about the ones who just don't even seem to recognize that what they are doing and how they are living is wrong. They pick and choose the scriptures they will live by and conveniently ignore the ones that can shine light upon their darkened lives. They feel entitled to wealth and all the good things of this life...while ignoring the plight of those who struggle to even subsist.

We are such a rich nation. Even our own poor have more resources than most people in some other countries. Yet, we seem to be blind to our wealth...and always want more. We seem to be unwilling to share with the poor. Either because we don't "see" them...or because we judge them for their poverty. Or we share with the poor elsewhere, yet ignore the ones who are actually within our own churches...the ones who are sitting right next to us.

There was a time when a lot of Christians thought being poor was a judgment from God. If you were poor, you must be living in sin. Yet...God does not teach that. I think that mentality is still alive and well today. The poor are often either judged...or ignored...or simply "not seen". How very sad.

I believe God wants our hearts above all else. If He has our hearts, then He can use us to help bring about His will on earth as it is in heaven. He can use us to reach out to those who really need reaching out to. There are so many lost, broken and hurting people in this world.

So, I wonder...

will God give us an ungodly ruler to shake the people up? Will He bring us an ungodly ruler to bring us to our knees in repentance? Will He allow us to suffer in order to humble us? I really don't think He cares one bit about our comfort and our status quo. I think He cares more about the condition of our souls.

Are our concerns reflective of God's concerns? If we are truly His people, shouldn't His concerns be our concerns?

Are we more concerned about who wins the election than we are about the guy down the street? Or the guy IN the street? Shouldn't we really care about all that God cares about?

My prayer is that I will love the Lord my God with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength and love my neighbor as myself. My prayer is that His will be accomplished on earth as it is in heaven...starting with me. I want to be used of Him and to glorify Him in my life. I want to share His love with others. I want to be refined. He is definitely changing my heart about some things...and my attitudes.