Giving Thanks in the Midst of Despair

Daily Reading: Leviticus 16, Psalm 106, 2 Corinthians 2, Proverbs 16

Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.

Proverbs 16:8

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.

Proverbs 16:18-19

A violent person entices their neighbor and leads them down a path that is not good. Whoever winks with their eye is plotting perversity; whoever purses their lips is bent on evil.

Proverbs 16:29-30

These last few years have weighed heavily on my heart.

It has been incredibly disheartening to see the level of brazen corruption and greed on full display by leaders from all around the world.

20 years ago if a prominent politician was caught accepting a small bribe, and there was a paper trail, it would end a career. Somewhere along the way, our world seems to have collectively decided to shrug our shoulders and think, “This is just how it is. Everyone is doing it. I would still rather my side than ‘their side’ wins.”

A large majority of the Western world has simply given up holding their leaders accountable, and instead, simply ask, “How does this impact my life?”

Far too many people are willing to sacrifice their own morality and follow leaders that do despicable things if it means “winning”.

Winning can take different forms for all of us. It can mean a lower tax bracket, the stock market doing well, more affordable healthcare, certain policy preferences being enacted, and the list could go on.

However, for a lot of people, it is simply about their tribe. It is about the “side” they have decided to align with, and winning at all costs is now the objective.

As followers of Jesus, many of us have stopped fighting for a higher standard of leadership. We have settled, because we want to “win”.

Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.

This is not our final home.

The next two years, four years, eight years cannot take precedent over eternity.

We should never be willing to sacrifice our own credibility, and ability to minister to others, for the sake of an election cycle.

I understand that there comes a time where we may not be excited about either candidate, and simply have to choose. However, there is a large distinction between casting a ballot we are not excited about, and then fighting like crazy to hold that person to the highest standard of integrity, and throwing our lot in completely with a candidate and defending the indefensible as a form of emotional self preservation.

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. A violent person entices their neighbor and leads them down a path that is not good. Whoever winks with their eye is plotting perversity; whoever purses their lips is bent on evil.

This applies to so many leaders around the globe.

As Christians, we cannot allow our allegiance to be placed anywhere but with Jesus.

There are too many people bent on enticing violence, plotting perversity, and plundering the poor.

Too many lips bent on evil.

Here is the good news, we serve a loving father. This is not our forever home.

When your heart feels heavy, actively choose to do battle.

We can despair, or we can take action.

We can sit idly by, or we can speak out.

And through all of it, bring your heart back to God. Bring your soul back to a place of rest and peace. Remind yourself of what we read in Psalm 106 today:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psalm 106:1

Amen.

Daily Reflection & Dialogue

How can I strike the right balance of living in this world and striving to make it a better place, while not being completely weighed down by the magnitude of the challenge?