Honor the King

The last few years in America have been rough. Let's face it. We have a President who totally disregards the wishes of the people. A man who fails to respect the laws of our nation. A man who supports socialism and homosexuality. Under the current administration, the value of the Constitution has been diminished. My tax money has been utterly wasted so that people who work less than I do, can live better than I live. Our allies have become our enemies. Our military personnel have been degraded. We have sat by and watched. While giving up our freedoms, our world has become more and more dangerous. Not to mention, the epic monstrosity known as the "Affordable Care Act." 

It is a sad day in America. My heart grieves for my beloved country. I regret that anyone believed the lie that a man would change our country for the better. 

It's hard to have a good attitude right now. My healthcare plan will be cancelled next summer. Any similar plan I choose will been over $100 more than I pay right now. And I have to choose to pay that extra $100 now, or I won't have insurance for several months. Don't even get me started on the nonsense of this world - I cannot go anywhere without being exposed to blatant wickedness. I can't even sit in the privacy of my home without hearing words or seeing things that I never intended to see... or even sought out… blurted out in commercials masked in humor and innuendos. It is just disgusting. And to top it all off, the people that we have "chosen" to lead our country in truth with honor and integrity are doing a terrible job! 

Somehow even though my faith has absolutely nothing to do with all of these changes. Somehow even though it is my faith that founded and established this nation. Somehow I am mocked because I believe in the one true God. Somehow I am the "bad guy" for expecting that all able-bodied, of-age persons earn their keep or for demanding morality and honesty. Somehow it is my fault when things go wrong. 

(Or is it just me who feels this? All Bible-believing Christians should understand what I am saying.)

I think Peter understood what we are going through today. He said this in 2 Peter 2:11-17 - 

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

Here Peter reminds us that we really don't belong to this country. We are pilgrims just passing through awaiting a glorious, eternal country. Peter reminds us to keep our lives honorable in the eyes of the world. Yes, they might be speaking against us right now. Yes, they might accuse us of being the "bad guy" right now. But they know by our actions (if we are living out the principles of the Bible) that when it comes down to it, our God is real and true. 

So what do we do in the meantime? 

Obey those laws that we dislike. We are doing it to bring glory to God's name anyway, not our own personal pleasure or comfort. God put the king and governors (President and Senators) in our lives to punish the real bad guys anyway. 

And on top of it all... This is God's will. We are quickly approaching the day of His return. He has had this in the books since the beginning. He knows. He is aware, and He allows. In the end, He will receive the glory. 

So be obedient. Be submissive. Be silent. To quote Peter in verse 17, Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

Dear Christians and fellow Americans, please don't use your knowledge of the truth as an opportunity to speak hate against these men that God. We don't need "educated" on the woes of our great nation, who has so obviously strayed from God. We get it. We are living it. Does it really honor God when we point out every obvious or minor flaw that our leaders make? No. Does it proclaim the name of Christ when we mock or offend the unsaved? No. So do we need to air our grievances on facebook for Christian and non-Christian friends to see? No. That is definitely "not honoring all men."

Yes, my heart breaks for the direction that our President has turned our nation. But I couldn't respect him more. The truth is, I don't envy his job. I do not desire the responsibility that he has. God will hold him accountable for the decisions that he has made. All of that sin that has multiplied as a result of his poor decisions, our President will have to give an account to God for. That means I really, really need to pray for this man. 

As I mourn the tragic decisions that our government has made, I have found myself praying more - and praying harder - for this man who does not know the power of my God. I find myself respecting the severe responsibility that leadership truly is. I find myself encouraging others to honor this man. He is our leader for two more years, whether we like it or not. We have to pray that he will make wise decisions. And most importantly we have to pray that he would choose companions and advisors who know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Pray that they would develop a healthy relationship with our President and show him our Savior. If our President doesn't know Christ, how could he possibly lead our country according the principles that it was founded upon and are laid out in our constitution?

As I mourn the direction we head, I find myself praying for the salvation of the lost. A Christian nation is determined by her people, not by the principles of her founding fathers. If we dwindle in numbers... if I fail to lead others to my Jesus... if I do not teach those younger than me how to live an honest and honorable life... how can I expect to live in a Christian nation?

Please join me in making a concentrated effort starting today. Let us pray for our President every day. Let us continue to praise God for our freedoms while we still have them. Let us honor the men that God has appointed over us. And let us look forward to the day when we leave this kingdom and move to our eternal city with our Heavenly King.