Outside the Walls: Who’s in Charge?

“Corder, who do you think will be our president?” I asked.

“Who is the president, Daddy?” asked my 5-year-old.

“The person in charge of the country,” I said with a smile.

“No, they aren’t, Daddy. Jesus is in charge of the country,” he said as he resumed playing with his Legos.

Sometimes the Lord uses the next generation to remind us of truth. As I write this, Americans are casting their vote for the next president of the United States of America. By now, you know who our new president will be. Some may be relieved, others may be anxious; according to most surveys, the vast majority of people are disillusioned.

According to Romans 13, there is no authority except what God has established. He either places leaders in authority to bless a country or bring curse on a country. I pray that our fate has not already been sealed. How long can our country prosper when we continue to turn our backs on God? Our nation has begun to rewrite morality based on the feelings of the majority, and we are stepping out from under the authority of God. We cannot expect to live under His security when aren’t under His authority. We desire for God to bless America while we curse one another.

But I’m preaching to the choir. You watch Fox News and hear the negativity spewing from the mouths of politicians. You see the lifestyles of the majority of our country. Those people don’t value what you value. My question is: What are you going to do about it? You could put some batteries in your bull horn and head out to the street corner. You could share posts on Facebook. You could hunker down, build a fence around your local church, and keep out those people.

My suggestion is that you love your neighbor. Pray that God will send someone to them, then be ready to go and be an answer to your own prayer. Listen, and show them you care, and, ultimately, share the hope you have in Christ. Start with the next generation. Their future may not be as bright as your parents told you yours was. Our future is in their hands. No pressure, but they are counting on us.

I told my son Connor, “We are counting on your generation to pull us out of this mess we have gotten ourselves into.” His response was, “What makes you think our generation is going to be better than yours, if your generation is raising us?”

As we close a crazy year of shallow promises and confrontational debates, take time to reflect, and determine in whom you will put your trust. Never forget who’s really in charge.