Living With Optimism in Troubled Times
By Matthew Allen
I don’t know how many of you are “news junkies,” but if you follow the news at all, you know that the last few months have been full of extremely depressing news. Three school shootings resulting in the deaths of a number of students and faculty members, a new salacious Congressional scandal, and increased tensions with North Korea and Iran are just a few of the new items we’ve recently been bombarded with. The school shootings (one in Colorado, another in Wisconsin, and one in Pennsylvania) are just inexplicable. How could these take place? What would lead to a person to walk into a school and take the innocent lives of students? The reason these situations are so hard for us to explain is that the problems that create them are myriad and complex. We live in an increasingly violent society that devalues life. Our culture is infatuated with sex and the glorification of it has permeated our media. The family structure in our country continues to disintegrate and this leads to far more damaging consequences than we may care to realize. In some way, these and other things have helped create a society that has no fear of God, little respect for life, constantly lives for pleasure, and exalts self at every turn. It would do our nation well to remember Proverbs 14:34: Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.
The latest scandal in our government is truly sickening; no matter your political affiliation. The Congressman who had inappropriate conversations with pages did the right thing:
he resigned. When we elect officials, we expect them to abide by a higher standard of conduct. Unfortunately, many of our elected leaders have chosen not to live by this higher standard, but a different standard all together. Some believe they are not to be held accountable for their actions. It seems as if our elected leaders could fall in the same category as those who lived during the days of Micah. They abhorred justice and twisted everything that is called straight. They also pronounced judgment for a bribe, Micah 3:9-10. While our natural reaction at such scandals might be to withdraw from and lose interest in the political process, we need to resist that urge and actively support men and women who will live by and encourage morality and ethics in government. We need Christians who will have the courage to get involved in their communities, and stand up for God’s way at every opportunity. And, most importantly, we need to trust in God. Those who work iniquity in high places do not go unnoticed, nor will they go unpunished by God, Numbers 32:23.
While we can certainly get down about the things going on in our world, there is still reason to live with hope and optimism! God is in control. Evildoers will not go without punishment from God. Even if they are allowed to advance their agenda in this life, they, like everyone, will give an account to God for the deeds done in the body, 2 Corinthians 5:9-10. Evil will not be allowed to prosper, good ultimately triumphs. God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul. He will recompense the evil to my foes; ...I will give thanks to Your name, 0 LORD, for it is good. For He has delivered me from all trouble, And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies, Psalm 54:4-7.