Stop Whining, start Winning !!

A police officer in recently Hurricane Sandy ravaged New York City was quoted as saying, “Looting, to me, is acceptable if you’re looting for your baby or your family,” !!  Really?  Here is an officer, sworn to uphold the law of the land claiming in certain instances that stealing is just fine !! Immediately I think, what if that store owner who’s goods are being stolen also has a baby in need?  If taking his things, in turn takes food of his table?  What about the promise the policeman has made to uphold the law? He has compromised his integrity !  What about the Bible’s command to love your neighbor? Does the storeowner feel loved by being robbed?   If he’s a good man there would be no need to steal from him, he would willingly give to someone in dire need.   And what about the foundation of God’s Word as the standard by which we measure all we do? It has shifted here from a situation ethics, a relativism that says it’s ok in certain situations to steal because I say so, rather than holding to the unshifting standard “Thou shalt not steal” (PERIOD) !!  [Ex.20:15].  In fact, the Hebrew intensifies the command by literally reading, “Thou shall NEVER steal !!!”    If you haven’t been already, one day you will be victimized by someone with terrible ethics !

Our ethics have shifted in our country because our standard for truth has.  Will that ever recover?  We have seen in this week’s election how much Americans have turned their back on truth for love of self.  Whatever can we do to check the corruption?     We can moan about the state of our world or we can do something productive about it !   To see a fundamental shift in values in people, we must make sure we too are shifting to make an impact, let me suggest a couple ways:    Pray fervently for your nation (James 5:16; 1Tim.2:1-4) and refuse to be silent about the Lord (Matt.28:18-20).  Take every opportunity you can to be a witness and tell folks what Jesus has done for you. Stop worrying about what people may think, start being concerned about what He commands which is to go into all the world an preach the gospel (Mk.16:15).  Have some tracts with you and give them out when you go to dinner or the store, when you purchase gas, etc.  Get into the habit of sowing the Word to a world so in need of it.   We can turn the world upside down just as much as those first century disciples did !!!   You want to see things improve?  It must start today with YOU, God is willing, are YOU??!!