Primary Fear

As most of you know this year is election year.  For those who are staunch republicans, I sure many of you have been watching the GOP primaries, debates, and news about the candidates closely.  There seems to be more at stake in our nation than ever before.  We seem to be at such an important cross roads where so many good and bad things could happen by the decisions our leaders make in Washington.  I think most would agree that this is no ordinary election.  Who wins and what they believe matters.

I have tried very hard this year to learn about the GOP candidates and even the president.  I believe it is important to vote and to be informed.  I have to say though I have been greatly discouraged by the candidates I have to choose from.  This GOP race and presidential election have a line from Courageous running through my head saying, "Where are you men of courage?"

What happen to the men of character?  The men who believed in their country and stood solidly in their belief of Jesus.  Where are the men who are connected to all the people of our nation not just the rich or the poor?  Where are the men who have lived the life of the average American and the men who understand the true needs of the people?  Where are the men who are not owned by the many interest groups of the world but live with integrity and are willing to go against the grain for their convictions?

All of these questions are on my heart when I look at the current political landscape of our country but also as I look at the religious landscape.  I believe that the movie, Courageous, is both timely and an essential must see in today's climate.  We live in a world that is reaping the results of cowardly and absent men.  We are living in a world where the devoutly Christian man with integrity, honor, passion, and fervor seems to be an endangered species.  I am afraid until we regain these Courageous men in our areas of leadership that the world will continue this downward spiral.

I pray that courageous and honorable men would stand up and fight for position in the world again.  I pray that they would fill our congress, statehouses, and churches.  I pray there would be a revival and change in this world for Jesus.  I pray that we would learn to live and work in unity again under Jesus Christ's reign.  I pray that the devil's grip on this nation would be destroyed and fall away.

Please take this blog post exactly as it is.  Not as a political argument.  Not as something meant for confrontation or judgment.  Not as something to disparage our country.  This post is simply the cry of my heart for a leader I can depend on and believe in.  A desire for men I can be proud of as leaders of our country.  My prayer is that we would become one nation under the one and only Christian God again.  My prayer is that we would receive the blessing of God again and be a blessing for God to the world.  This is my desire, hearts cry, and prayers.

1 Timothy 3:1-4, "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,"

Blessings,

Greg

Don't Relax in Your Faith

Today I had the day off because my wife and I both had doctor's appointments we needed to go to with only one car.  I also have to work this weekend so my boss wanted me to take the day off to break up the schedule so I wouldn't be working 10 days straight.  I am so thankful that I had a break today because my back had really tightened up last night and I needed a day to allow the muscles to let go and allow me to do my job to the best of my ability.

After my wife and I finished all of our doctors appointments, I decided to take a muscle relaxer to help encourage my back to return to normal.  I know that a muscle relaxer can make you drowsy but I was not prepared for how drowsy I would feel the rest of the day.  A couple hours after taking the pill I decided to take a nap but I did not want to wake up after taking it.  I felt an intense desire to sleep.  I literally had to force myself to get up and start moving.

The rest of my evening has been one long struggle to stay awake so that I can get normal sleep tonight.  I definitely do not believe I will be taking a muscle relaxer during the day again even if I am off work with no where to go.  I do not like the feeling of my energy being drained from me.  I also do not like having to focus to keep my attention on things.

As I sit here still in my muscle relaxer stupor, I can't help but think about how my walk with Jesus feels like this sometimes.  Sometimes I struggle to stay close with Jesus.  I feel like I have no strength to walk in Him.  I feel like my mind focuses on everything but Him.  Have you ever been there?  Has the distraction of work, school, holidays, family, friends, tv, and music caused you to struggle in your walk with Christ?  Have you ever considered that maybe like my muscle relaxers these things are used by the devil to lull you away from a passionate walk with Jesus?

Unlike the muscle relaxer, the devil only has power over us when we give it to him.  We allow ourselves to walk off the narrow path.  We allow ourselves to be distracted by the many things of this world.  We take our eyes off Jesus.  The devil cannot make us do any of these things.  As followers of Jesus, the devil has no power over us.  James 1:13-14 says, "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire."


We allow ourselves to be pulled away from Christ.  We allow the devil to have power over us.  1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."  As I had mentioned in my blog yesterday, we already know that we can do all things through Christ in Philippians 4:13.  The power we have against the devil is fully shown through John 16:33 where Jesus tells the disciples, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."  


So if you are sleepily struggling in your faith, take heart because Jesus can help deliver you from any struggle you are facing.  He is strong enough to deal with any situation you find yourself in.  He is strong enough to overcome the devil's hold on you.  Just completely trust and lean upon Him (Proverbs 3:5).  Put your complete faith and assurance in Him and He will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:6).  


Blessings,


Greg