“Hope.”
“Change We Can Believe In.”
“Make America Great
Again.”
Pretty much every adult in America could quickly recognize
and identify these recent presidential campaign slogans. These slogans serve as
reminders of the many promises made by politicians throughout history, and at
the same time, they also serve as reminders of the lack of follow-through accomplished
by these politicians as they’ve failed to deliver on their promises time and
again. While these failings certainly give us something to rant about on social
media, the question I propose to you is this: Why does the government keep
failing us?
Does the government continue to fail us because politicians
simply lie, cheat, and make promises they never intend to keep in the first
place? Sure, this is a possibility. Or maybe the real issue is the two-party
system that dominates Washington, which seemingly prevents any real change from
taking place. Or maybe the most vital issue in our nation is not the failings
of the government at all; maybe it’s the expectations we place on the
government. Is it possible that we expect too much from Washington? Is it
possible that we, as Americans, have been groomed to believe that our most
fundamental problems are due to bad government? After all, if our problems are
due to bad government, all we need is good
government and that would eradicate our country’s problems.
While I definitely believe government is ordained by God to
protect and serve justice (Romans 13), I also believe the government is limited
in its scope and influence. Therefore, when politicians make promises they
cannot keep, it isn’t necessarily because they lied to the people; it’s more
than likely a case in which the political leaders of this country are simply unable
to do as they promised. You see, the government governs, regulates, and
protects its citizens, but the government, like all mankind, is limited, even
in countries with a totalitarian government. When God ordained government, He
did not intend for it to meet all the needs of its citizens, nor did He even equip
the men and women within government to do so.
John F. Kennedy was onto something when he proclaimed at his
inaugural address in 1961: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what
you can do for your country.” So, on the one hand, we need to be the change we
desire, instead of waiting on the government to change the things around us. An
example of this can be found in the racial tensions of our day. Rather than wait
for our government leaders to reconcile race relations, let us begin to engage
in dialogue and to truly seek to understand our neighbors – red, yellow, black,
and white – who are all created in God’s image.
Then, on the other hand, we need to stop placing our trust
in worldly institutions that are limited by their very nature, and instead
place our hope and trust in One who is infinite and unrestricted. While every
person and every institution on earth will fail us and let us down, Jesus
Christ, the Son of the Living God, will never fail us nor will He ever let us
down. In Him there is lasting hope. In Him there is true joy and satisfaction.
Therefore, I urge you to place your trust in Him, to stop looking to the things
of this world for satisfaction, to repent of your rejection of God, and to
truly place your hope in Christ alone. He is worthy of your hope, His unfailing
love is eternal, and in Him there is true and lasting “Change We Can Believe In.”
He might not ever “Make America Great Again” (whatever that might mean for
you), but He Himself is The Great One, who will usher in not a temporary
country with an unsatisfactory government, but an eternal kingdom, in which
there will be everlasting joy, for He will be at the center.
~Corey
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