Yesterday, as I executed my daily run through scenic Pigeon Cove, some thoughts came to me about the responsibility that Christians bear to effect changes in our society.
The Apostle Paul famously warned the Thessalonians that “if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” Some had evidently decided to sit back and wait for the Lord’s return without exercising due diligence to provide for their own basic needs. Yes, Jesus had taught us to ask the Father for our daily bread. But such prayer was obviously not meant to negate the importance of individual responsibility to work to provide for the needs of one’s family. Elsewhere Paul wrote that failure to do so makes one “worse than an infidel.”
In 1 Timothy Paul charges believers to pray for civil authorities “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” Now, following the analogy of daily bread, the call to prayer does not negate but rather assumes personal responsibility to work for the fulfillment of the prayer.
Some Christians refuse to vote because, in their mind, doing so somehow taints them with worldliness. But utilizing the daily bread analogy, not only are we to pray for a peaceful and stable society conducive to godly living, we must work to make it happen. One fundamental means of doing so is to cast intelligent votes for candidates who will support principles that undergird a Christian-friendly society.
Refusing to vote, out of a misguided concept of worldliness, or just plain lazy indifference, yet praying in the spirit of 1 Timothy 2, is akin to refusing to work while trusting God to provide food.
Scripture indeed teaches that our primary citizenship is in heaven. But such an identity does not negate temporal responsibilities in this world. Prayer, without accompanying human action, disregards clear biblical principles and vainly puts God to the test.
So, if you are concerned about the direction America is taking, earnestly intercede for our leaders. And vote in every election to demonstrate that your prayers for our nation are not empty rituals.
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This post reminded me of the way Joshua behaves in the Old Testament. God says that he will be with him, but he does not sit around after being assured of victory.
In Joshua 1, God instructs him and then says, "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest," and in the verse immediately following, Joshua is busy preparing the people. The same thing happens again in 3:7-13.
This post was a good one, and I have enjoyed following your blog.
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