The Mourning After (A Few Practical Suggestions)

Posted on Facebook Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 9:02am

I mourn for America today. Not for the first time, God has answered a people’s request for a king like the nations. Yet now, as then, He is sovereign.

Where do we go from here?

1. Let’s reject fear and anxiety. Our peace does not depend on our circumstances.

Philippians 4:6-9 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.

2. Let’s demonstrate grace to those around us. Some are mourning and need encouragement. Let’s accompany them in their distress. Others are exulting. Let’s not try to restrain them, but rather congratulate them, even if we do so with heavy hearts and lumps in our throats.

Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

3. Let’s remind ourselves of God’s sovereign plan for history.

Daniel 2:21-22 And it is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, And knowledge to men of understanding.

4. Let’s remember where our true citizenship is, and conduct ourselves accordingly.

Philippians 3:18-20 For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things, but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

5. Let’s keep swimming against the current by the grace of God and with the help of His Word.

Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

6. Let’s treat President-elect Obama with more respect than President Bush has been treated. Even many who name the name of Christ miss no opportunity to vilify our current President, blaming him for myriad woes, both real and imagined, and ascribing to him the worst possible motives. Let us demonstrate what it is to act like Christians in our respect for authority.

Romans 13:1-8 Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God's command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do good and you will have its approval. For government is God's servant to you for good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God's servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of your conscience. And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God's public servants, continually attending to these tasks. Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor. Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

7. Let’s pray for him faithfully. His decisions will affect the liberty of God’s people to speak and act unhindered for the sake of the Kingdom.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Foolish Vows

The recent efforts of Focus on the Family to get people to sign their "Values Voter Pledge" has me thinking about the question of foolish vows.

Here is the pledge, as it is posted on their website, (as of the writing of this blog at http://www.focuspetitions.com/135/petition.asp?RID=13147382):

The Values Voter Pledge:

As a concerned citizen, I am signing this Values Voter Pledge for 2008 indicating my commitment to stand for the values of life, faith and family during this election year. I am pledging to support candidates who uphold these bedrock values of:
•Life -- I will only vote for candidates who have committed to
defend sanctity of life from conception to natural death.
•Family -- I will only vote for candidates who stand for one-man, one-woman
marriage and oppose efforts to undermine the
nuclear family.
•Faith -- I will only vote for candidates who support the public
acknowledgement of God and affirm the religious liberties of
all Americans.
I also oppose any and all efforts by the media, organizations or candidates to diminish the role that Values Voters are playing in this year’s election. I authorize Focus on the Family Action to represent my Values Voter Pledge before the media, political candidates or other suitable forums as a demonstration of the strength and seriousness of Values Voters in this election cycle.

We have a duty to protect the helpless and to oppose injustice in all its forms. Abortion is a deadly attack on the most helpless possible human victims. The attempt to redefine marriage is an indirect attack on children and on society itself. I oppose both, and I seek to support political candidates who stand boldly and effectively in defense of children of all ages and of the traditional family.

However, there are times when no such candidate is available. At such times, I may be compelled to distinguish between a candidate who is hostile to traditional values and one who is either passive or simply ineffective in his defense of them. At times, I may be compelled to vote, not for the lesser of two evils, but against the greater of two evils. That, too, is a way to resist injustice.

Focus on the Family's Values Voter Pledge, however, does not allow that option. Those who sign it bind themselves by an oath to do nothing even if faced with a choice between monstrous evil and moral ambiguity.

I cannot help thinking about King Saul's foolish oath in 1 Samuel 14. He had only one goal in mind and lost sight of all else. As a result, he bound not only himself, but also his whole nation, by a foolish oath not to eat until they had won a battle. Tunnel vision, even in the pursuit of a laudable goal, can lead to tremendous foolishness. I hope God's people are wise enough to heed the words of Ecclesiastes 5:2-5:

1 Walk prudently when you go to the house of God;
and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools,
for they do not know that they do evil.
2 Do not be rash with your mouth,
And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.
For God is in heaven, and you on earth;
Therefore let your words be few.
3 For a dream comes through much activity,
And a fool’s voice is known by his many words.
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it;
For He has no pleasure in fools.
Pay what you have vowed—
5 Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.

Lord, protect us from foolish vows.