If my math is correct, today marks the one hundred and first day Barack Obama has been President. Three facts about this are worthy of note:
- God’s not dead.
- Neither are you.
- So much for any excuse you might have.
Oh, and you can’t catch swine flu by eating bacon.
You also can’t blame swine flu for the extended derangement that greets most anyone occupying the office of President this millennium. No, President Bush didn’t declare martial law, cancel all elections, appoint himself leader for life and march all liberals off to concentration camps for forced indoctrination. And no, no matter how many times President Obama gives cause to shake my head and mutter, “dude, this isn’t going to work,” he hasn’t brought about the Apocalypse nor is he likely to do so. That is God’s call. Call it a case of His playing the Deity card.
We are spending way too much time and devoting way too much energy on vapid ranting. When President Obama says or does something we don’t like, the sum total of our available response is stating we don’t like it, we don’t believe it’s going to work, and here’s why; i.e. making our case as to the reasons for our objection.
Then shutting up and getting busy doing something about that which we actually can do something.
Y’know, if something President Obama puts in action works — and kindly bear in mind very little of what he has started has yet to kick in — say oops; my bad. It won’t kill you. If it doesn’t work, say I told you so. But bear in mind the chances of you having the President’s ear on the matter are rather remote. All you can do is say your piece to whoever may be listening.
Let’s run the above through in order, starting with the “dude, this isn’t going to work” part. The economy. President Obama’s eyeroll-inducing statement in yesterday’s press conference about not wanting to grow government notwithstanding, his philosophy is clear: massive government spending will bring about economic revival. Um, sure.
While many of the projects outlined in his stimulus package are laudable, such as rebuilding the nations infrastructure, there’s a fundamental element at play here: sooner or later you’re going to have to pay for that. You can’t simply print money. It has to come from somewhere. That somewhere is you and me. Talk about middle-class tax cuts and being able to generate the necessary revenue as a result of the projects themselves sounds nice. But is it realistic? Wouldn’t bet the farm on it. Yet this is precisely what Obama is doing. It’s quite the gamble, and if it fails look out Snoopy.
While everyone kvetches about paying taxes, the plain truth is you’d better not expect the government on any level, be it federal or state or local, to provide services for which you’re not willing to pony up. Conversely, it would be nice if elected officials would can the claptrap and tell the truth: you want it, you have to pay for it.
Going along with this is the wild and crazy notion of genuine transparency and accountability. Consider this scenario. The government says we need to raise taxes for a specific purpose: rebuild roads, put more police and firefighters on the street, whatever. Okay, fine, here’s some more out of my paycheck. Now the government does what it said it was going to do, detailing every little everything it does every step of the way. Do we object to that? No. So f’n do that. Every time.
Okay, said my piece. On to the next part, a/k/a shutting up and getting busy doing something about that which we actually can do something.
The problem with kneejerk reactions are there’s too much jerk and not enough knee, as in getting on same and getting busy with the prayer. Ranting and raving is a hot knife through butter. It goes smooth and easy. It’ll get you lots of followers if you do it loud and long enough. But it accomplishes… oh, what’s that word… nothing.
Nothing.
Said it before, saying it again. Jesus died for Barack Obama too. No one is out of the reach of God’s love, grace and transforming power. He is Who He is, He knows the score, and He is in control of the situation. If your God can’t handle it, your God is too small and you need to get together with the Real One. You think Obama is prideful and arrogant? Okay, you’re within your rights to think that way. You think God can’t move on that? You think He is so emasculated He can’t change a mans heart and mind? Get wise and get a clue.
Trying praying for the man and the people around him. Pray that his heart will be convicted of where he’s wrong and will turn toward that which is right. Pray that he will know and put into place the truism that the one who serves Christ in heaven does so by serving His children on earth. Pray that the believers he interacts with will encourage, exhort and challenge him to be his best, which is the only way one can do their best. Voice your opposition to his policies and philosophies all you wish. But remember that doesn’t go very far.
Prayer doesn’t have that problem.
And tend to your own house. We need to do as we have been commanded to do: love and encourage each other, help each other with what we are able to do. It’s going to have far, far more effect than all our tirades in blogs or on Twitter or wherever.
God’s not dead and neither are you and I. So let’s get busy doing what we can (and have been commanded to) do, and while speaking our minds about President Obama always keeping in mind Someone Who actually can do something is on the case. Always has been, always will be.
Avoid sudden movements. That kneejerk can hurt only you.
