When Thinking Tanks

At what point did our thinking tank?

Was it when we abandoned our work ethic and became dependent on handouts from the government? Maybe it was before that when we refused to curb our spending because of our own personal and corporate greed. Could it have tanked when we accepted the proposition that government really does know what is best – rather than the individual? Or was it in the midst of all of this when we simply stopped believing that our voices could even be heard within the sea of corruption that stymies Washington?

Regardless, it appears that many of us haven’t let the collective brain melt bother us too much because we don’t think that politics affects us immediately or personally. The sad thing is we are wrong and unaware of the degree to which it does. So we plod along through our days, weeks and months wholly unconscious that we are being stripped of our liberties one by one – a little here, a little there, just so that we barely notice. Sadly, when we finally do notice we may find that the decisions made by those in power affect us much more personally than many of us ever imagined they would.

For our part, I think we tend toward one of these three schools of thought.

One, we are in agreement with big government’s policies and don’t take issue with whatever our party thinks is best. “After all, they must have our best interests at heart.” We reason, “Those who disagree are against progress and motivated by self-interest not the good of the whole.”

Two, we just don’t want to get involved. We tell ourselves, “It takes too much time. I’m not sure I’m really qualified to speak to those issues. I’ll let the person who handles those kind of things handle them. Surely someone is holding them accountable. I have a business and a family to manage, why should I concern myself with the bureaucracy of people out of my scope of reference.”

Three, we are scared – scared of the implications if we stand up and speak out. We ask, “What if I’m wrong? I don’t have all the answers. When is it right to speak up, and when should I just be silent? What kind of response will I receive?”

For many I have noticed the tendency to jump on the bandwagon of popular thought, or that thought which everyone applauds as forward and inclusive. But for the one who differs on politics or issues of faith there is often no parade. Fear may cause him to tiptoe through a landmine of friends whom he is worried about upsetting lest he bring a firestorm down on himself along with the label intolerant. This same fear may keep others from coming to his aid.

These paradigms are nothing new. They play out day to day, from decade to decade, which is why this at some point ceases to be about politics or even current events. For at the end of the day all politics is folly, and every society a vapor, a breath. Every man’s reason is flawed and every man is subject to his Creator.

With this in mind we must ask ourselves. Are some ideas superior to others? The answer is yes, because truth is non-negotiable. Are some governments superior? Again, yes. It must be so because absolutes do exist. There are universal, physical and moral laws that we are bound by, and they demand adherence. Above all we must value the right of individuals to live their lives and sustain their liberty in peace. The entanglements of an invasive government choke out liberty. Therefore the government which protects its people without encroaching on their liberties is a superior form of government.

Let us not forget these words penned by our forefathers, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Declaration of Independence 1776

These men believed we each have a right to the pursuit of happiness but not necessarily to happiness itself or to another’s pursuit of happiness on our behalf. We lose ourselves when others begin making decisions for us. That is why we have a bill of rights.

George Washington said, “If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” “Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.”

More recently Gerald Ford stated, "Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have. The course of history shows us that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

We can no longer be bullied by a power-hungry government. We must no longer allow our taxes to be spent on stimulus packages the government can neither afford nor implement. No matter how good they are for us.

Is it my job to care for the widow and the orphan? Yes it is, but it is not government’s job to make me care for the widow and the orphan. This is the responsibility of the church and the individual. And we – the church, have failed on many fronts. First we have failed to speak truth with boldness, clarity and love, and secondly, we have been slow to follow through on Jesus’ command to take care of the least of these.

Are we selfish? Yes, we are, and we should weep over this sin. But the answer to our problems does not come by throwing money that we do not have at these problems. It certainly does not come from giving our earth more attention than we do her Creator. It comes only through repenting as a nation over our sin. This sin has been committed, not against the nations of the world, but against our God whom we have ignored. It is then and only then that our thinking will begin to rise from the gutter in which it now stagnates.

Maybe we should take our cue from the Old Testament which reads, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Do Over!

We homeschool.

This statement elicits a myriad of responses and suggests as many teaching styles.

Homeschool stereotypes are not hard to come by. Some suit us, others do not. I’m not sure that you could label us a typical homeschool family, because no two are alike. The most common characteristic of families who homeschool is they are Independent.

Given that disclaimer, it shouldn’t be too surprising that my children are fairly independent learners, but like any child they require good instruction to point them in the right direction.

One particular morning my newly initiated second-grader was demonstrating just such independence. She had been attacking her math all morning, completing three days of assignments (6 pages) in one sitting without my prompting. While I busied myself with varied household duties she moved on to Grammar.

Between Laundry and dishes I wandered over to check on her and discovered that she had entered unfamiliar territory. She was faced with putting a group of words in alphabetical order.

The directions were clear enough to me but baffled my daughter. Being the self-starter that she is, she moved forward performing the task as best she knew how without asking for my help.

She took the list of five words she was given – EAT, ORANGE, ABOVE, GRAPE and BANANA and instead of placing the group in ABC order, she alphabetized each word. EAT became AET, ORANGE became AEGNOR...well you get the picture! She had done an excellent job in HER assessment of the situation, and I praised her for her ingenuity; however she did not complete the task assigned. She had misunderstood and consequently had to do it again. It was an understandable mistake, but a mistake nonetheless, which resulted in having to start over.

How often have I with the best of intentions moved forward on my own accord doing just what I thought was best or necessary and made a great mess of things simply because I misinterpreted a situation or flat out didn’t understand? I wish life was as easy as Grammar. Just read the directions, follow the instructions, and at the end of the day wad up the pieces of life that I did wrong, throw them away and start over.

I spend so much time agonizing over the consequences of my actions real and imagined that I often make things worse through my worry or attempts to make things right. Though I can’t cite a “do over” and change my past I can admit to my error and ask forgiveness for a wrong and clear direction for the future.

The Psalmist King David writes of God:

"he does not treat us as our sins deserve or
repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:10-12

John writes:

"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, 'Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.' But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, 'If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.' Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.

Jesus straightened up and asked her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' 'No one, sir,' she said. 'Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.'"
John 8:3-11

What incredibly good news! Through Jesus, God has given us a “do over.” If we confess our sin before him and leave it behind, he no longer holds it against us. We may not be able to undo our mistakes big or small, but we can start over with a better understanding.

That is why I am thankful for the Bible which introduces us to God, reminds us of his faithfulness through past generations and enlightens us of his promises for our future. Through this guide He provides clear direction for anything we will encounter and grants us an unparalleled opportunity to start over – with better instructions!