Every day I am sent some kind of post or message about our persecution as Christians.  The Government is trying to take God out of our lives.  By all accounts we seem to be the most persecuted, discriminated  against pool of people that ever lived.  I usually just skim over those or hit the delete button.  It's not that I don't see what is happening but joining in the fray isn't the answer.  It doesn't fix anything.  Jesus had those who were against Him too.  He didn't get defensive or engage in ongoing arguments.  He knew who He was and that all authority was His.  He had nothing to "prove".  I don't believe for a second that if Jesus were walking the earth today he would rant and rave on Facebook or Twitter about all our mess!  He would be too busy demonstrating and fulfilling God's commands.  As I was studying my Bible this morning God led me to this verse:

     "Also, the Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.  And YOU will again obey the voice of the Lord and do ALL His commandments which I command you today... " It goes on to say "For the Lord will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, IF you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, AND if you turn to the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul."  Deut 30:7-10

See it dawns on me that the rest of the world just may not be the problem.  Perhaps we as Christians are the bigger issue.  So many times we like to pick and choose which commandments we honor.  We are told to respect our leaders (Romans 13:1) and yet the most righteous of Christians are the first to blast out the most hateful and rude posts about our President (and I mean any President you don't agree with).  You don't have to like him but its pretty clear that honoring God's command is not on your agenda.  What if you took that time and sincerely prayed for our leaders instead — not for their demise but for their souls?  We are commanded to love others as our self, second only to loving God - with ALL your heart and ALL your soul.  It doesn't say only those that look like you or think like you.  Do we honestly show all people the same compassion that we have been shown — that we are commanded to show?  Is He truly King of everything in your life — your money, your time, your talents?

God promises us He will put curses on our enemies but the condition for that lies on us.  Only when we will obey the voice of our Lord, even when it's a message we don't really want to hear.  Only when we will keep ALL of His commandments, even those that aren't convenient.  I believe WE are what He is waiting on.  Stop wasting time blaming and accusing everyone else.  Quit whining and begin to examine your own heart.  I know it's not my enemies robbing me of anything.  They have no authority in my life.  Let's be certain we are doing what He asks of us.  Perhaps the rewards we reap will be the best witness yet.

An Eye on Leadership

As campaigns gear up I find myself anxiously waiting and watching.  This time though it’s different.  I’m not looking for a Democrat, not a Republican, not a Tea Partier.  I am looking and waiting for a true leader.  In doing so I ask myself who I look to as an example.  The only place I find myself returning is to the example of Jesus.  I believe that to lead people and our nation, the same qualities we see in Jesus must be found in those elected to office.  

I believe a leader first must have a calling.  Prophecies were fulfilled in one tiny Babe, who grew “in wisdom and stature” (Luke 2:52) and had His calling confirmed in baptism.  What we see from his life is that upbringing and affirmation are critical to becoming a leader.  Their talents and characteristics are not only nurtured but encouraged by those that surround them.  We can’t always control our beginnings but we can certainly direct our moving forward!

I believe those in leadership must be an authority figure as well.  Jesus throughout his teachings never suggests “Hey - maybe you should do this...” or “Maybe this will work.”  His words were demanding and spoken with authority.  He didn’t become defensive when in conflict with others - he had full authority and intended on using it!  He wasn’t afraid to speak truth without apology.  

A true leader has deep compassion.  In humility, Jesus met people where they were.  He attended to their immediate needs (Mark 6:34) and had compassion on the multitudes.  He still does today!  His compassion is an example to all of us.  He called on his followers and leaders to love, obey, pray, walk, listen AND follow.  Leaders today must do the same.  

Jesus was a visionary and a decision maker.  Many times those decisions came simply from common sense.  An idea often forgotten today.  Being decisive and earning respect may mean going head to head with the one in charge or it may be humbling yourself and offering an apology when things don’t go the way you thought.  Regardless of the distractions or persecutions, Jesus kept his eyes on the prize - the mission God had called him to!  (John 4:34, John 17:4)

A leader today must posses a spirit of service.  In Luke 22:26 Jesus said, “But you are not to be like that.  Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.”  Jesus served without seeking personal power.  When we do the same, we empower others, as He did, and free the potential in them! (Mark 9:35, Galations 5:13-14, Phil 2:2-4)

Finally, the thing I fear lacking the most today.  Jesus was the epitome of INTEGRITY.  Honesty, truthfulness, and integrity are at the center of any effective leadership.  Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount that we should be as good as our word.  A person of integrity is “pure in heart” (Matt 5:8) implying an undividedness in following God’s commands.  Integrity then, not only implies an undividedness, but moral purity as well.  Proverbs 11:3 says, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”  I’m afraid we are seeing this played out regularly today.  The falseness of our government - in our society is, without question, destroying us.  In the book, The Day America Told the Truth, there were several concerning findings...

1. They found that there is no moral authority in America today.
2. Americans are not honest.  They estimate that 91 percent of us lie regularly.
3. Marriage and family are not longer sacred.  One third of married men AND women admit having at least one affair.  Divorce has become the new norm and our children pay a steep price.

We may say we are a nation of integrity and virtue but evidently the majority of us lack it in our personal lives!  Corruption is corrosive!  We truly believe it’s ok to be a “little dishonest.”  We seek ways to compromise our values so that the “little bit” doesn’t hurt our conscience too badly.  As sinful human beings, our integrity is flawed - we know it and we accept it.  BUT, when we cease to seek better, to demand more from ourselves and our leaders, the true tragedy begins.

So this year I will make my stance.  I will strive to be a person of integrity.  I will emulate the leadership qualities Jesus so perfectly displayed to the best of my abilities.  And, before I cast the first vote, I will DEMAND the same of any candidate.