Red, White and Blue

I have friends and family on both sides of the political spectrum.  And of course I have my own opinions. For the sake of this article and what the Lord has revealed to me I will remain neutral. With the recent elections I have witnessed many people on social media voicing their opinion.  I was personally asked something like, “What did you think about the outcome of ______________ (a particular race)?”   I was a bit surprised because the person asking me doesn’t often engage with me about politics.  Knowing their position was different than mine, I paused and said, “Well I will do the best thing I know and add them to my prayer list.”  And that, my friend, is not only being an adult it is also being true to my faith.

If the Bible is true—and I unequivocally believe it is—then that is where my best position is.  On my knees before the throne of grace interceding for the “kings” the Lord has said in His word He has set up. What if God Himself has picked His perfect staff to run our country?  What if the people He has established simply need to come to know the Lord?  Whatever side of the fence you are on, it makes sense.  If He picked the people He wants in office then as a child of God we are to walk this thing out and lift others up to Him.  Maybe not changing the “names” but changing the hearts of who is already in the halls of government.  

Daniel 2:21says:

It is He who changes the times and the epochs; (seasons/periods)
He removes kings and establishes kings;
He gives wisdom to wise men
And knowledge to men of understanding.

When I was out walking one morning He reminded me of something.  Our flag is red, white and blue.  We have seen a lot of the red and a lot of the blue but there are three colors. Where is the white?  To the best of my knowledge one of the meanings of red is anointing.  Part of the color blue’s meaning is wisdom and revelation. White stands for holy.  In 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 we find:

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

I’ll put it this way, I don’t know of a single person in the world that I can say I would like to go to hell.  I take hell very literally and I know it is the worst possible outcome for anyone.  So regardless of what political view someone may have I want the best for them.  I believe there is no other way to the Father except through His son Jesus Christ.  So I will pray for my leaders – no matter the color – red or blue.  Change for the sake of change is pointless.  Change for the sake of an eternal difference, now that is something I can get on board about.  If their hearts change, then their position on policies changes and the heart of our nation will reap the benefits. So that’s my position: on my knees, praying for holiness.  And the craziest thing may just happen, I may see the greatest change within myself.

So if you have some politicians you don’t care for, I would highly suggest you pray earnestly for their salvation in Jesus Christ and for them to seek God’s direction when governing.  Today I commit to pray for _________________________ (fill in the blank).  I have a full list that I am watching expectantly for my God move on their hearts.  Or, you can always revert back to complaining and grumbling about them.  I will remind you, however, that that type of behavior cost all but two of the Israelites to never enter the promised land. 

Fear is Fraternizing with the Enemy

Merriam Webster’s Definition of Fraternize: to associate on close terms with members of a hostile group especially when contrary to military orders were ordered not to fraternize with the enemy.

This was my word today.  I could argue it all day and still be wrong.  I could say I have reason to fear, legitimate reasons.  And at the end of the day I would have been “fraternizing with the enemy.”  My God is greater and defeated my enemy 2,000 years ago.  Then why do I feel fear?  I wrote an article called “Spider” back in July.  You can revisit it if you’d like.  Basically what it came down to is that I saw and killed the largest spider I have ever seen in Wisconsin. I found it on the riser on the second from the top basement step.  

Since that time I have checked my shoes and clothes for spiders, and often carried a hammer with me when I went down into the basement. I was creeped out at every web that I thought I felt and acutely aware of my surroundings.  I sprayed pesticide. After a few months went by, just when I thought the danger was over, another one appeared.  I used the hammer and got him.

My nephew took the picture of the spider I had taken back in May and sent it in to a website to have it examined to see what we were dealing with.  I seriously had been too afraid and stuck my head in the sand hoping it simply would go away.  Something (likely Holy Spirit) told me it was a “ground spider.”  I didn’t know what that was but the expert on the website said indeed it was a ground spider.  It turns out that even though they are ugly looking, they are not venomous.  They catch and eat their prey on the ground not using webs, sort of like hunters.  They may form a silken mesh around their “nest” and will likely not bite unless the female’s egg sack is threatened.  It is from the family Gnaphosidae.  They live in every continent except Antarctica.   That may be more information than you care to know but trust me, I didn’t set out to know it either.  But there is something to be said for becoming educated on what I was afraid of.

I now can eliminate little spiders, which is really all the rest of them, without a problem and with maybe just a tissue.  In the past I would have hollered for John to kill it or used some kind of tool to get rid of the unwelcome intruder.  It took me five months to do what I should have done in the beginning and educate myself on them.  But I couldn’t get myself to look at the photo I took, much less do research.  I now can look at the photo on my phone, enlarge it and even appreciate its hairy legs. That last part may be a bit of an exaggeration but it feels good because I couldn’t even joke about it for five months.  I have come a long way as now I’m armed with knowledge.  I’ve taken more precautions as I filled what I believe was the nest area with insecticide foam where I think they were getting in.  I don’t have to consider moving to Antarctica after all.

Getting back to the title of the article, here is my point: you will always be a slave to what you fear.  For five months those spiders owned a part of me and Satan no doubt loved to see me uneducated and fearful.  I’m “almost” challenged by the spiders now, like I’m going to win and it feels good. Was I fraternizing with the enemy?  I would like to say no but I’d be wrong.  My imagination would run wild as I would lay in bed thinking of one of those “things” walking on me.  I had to fix this one in a process of baby steps, and it would not have been the first time in my life that I’ve had to do that. 

My advice is this; if you are afraid of something research it.  God isn’t the one who has something to hide and He is greater than your fear.  I tried really hard to live as normally as possible and go into the basement whenever I needed to.  I may have had to do it afraid but I did it.  What a relief, I may see another one of my new friends again some day and maybe not.  I now know what I’m dealing with and by that I mean when I think about the spiders I am thinking with a clear, sound mind.  Not scrambling thoughts covered in fear controlling me.  I have learned vague imaginations are always reduced in size when God’s truth is shed on them.