Healing a Nation

What a paradox this presidential election has been.

I have never seen God’s people so divided over an election.

I have never seen God’s people so united in prayer.

Some of you are elated over Trump’s election, while some of you dread the next four years. We view politics through different lenses. That's OK. We each voted according to our very different perceptions. One side won. The other side didn’t.

So now what? Do we remain focused on our political disagreements? Do we point fingers? Do we cling to anger against the “other side”? Do we relax our prayer efforts because “our” candidate won? Or didn't win? No. No. No. NO!!

Let’s do this instead…

We must not put too much hope in elected officials.

“O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.” –2 Chronicles 20:6 ESV

 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” –Psalm 20:7 NIV

“The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.” –Proverbs 21:1 ESV

Let’s face it. God is in control no matter which people fill the leadership positions.

We must continue our humble, repentant prayers for our nation.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” –2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

We HAVE prayed. We HAVE humbled ourselves. We HAVE sought God’s face. And God answered according to His plan. We must continue to pray. We must keep begging God to save our nation from its terminal sin disease. As Christ-followers, we must take ownership of our nation’s well-being. When we stop pointing fingers at politics, we can BE the change.

We must right the wrongs our nation has committed.

In Isaiah 58, God rebuked Israel for their pretend religion. He told them that they must prove their repentance by undoing oppression.

"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
"Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?" --Isaiah 58:6-7 ESV

This is the hard part. We must sacrifice ourselves to LOVE. We must leave our comfort zones to reach out to the oppressed. They include the sex-trafficking victims held against their wills, the homeless, the veterans suffering from PTSD, the abused, the traumatized refugees who seek a safe home, and the unborn children. At the same time, we must strike a fragile balance to also protect those under our care.

Honestly, I really struggle here. I see immense needs around me as I drive through my city. I feel absolutely overwhelmed with my inadequacy. I don’t know where to start…so I don’t.

This reminds me of the starfish story. A man walked along the beach after hundreds of starfish had washed up on the shore. There was no way he could rescue them all before they died from exposure, but he picked up one starfish at a time to throw them back in the water. Another man asked him why he bothered, since he couldn’t make much of a difference. He replied, “I made a difference to that one.”

No, I can’t make a dent in our nation’s problems all alone. But together, we can make a difference to one here. And one there. Until all the starfish are rescued.

Together, we can join together to change our nation’s course.

We must own our nation’s well-being. We must become the kind of citizens that make a nation great.