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.