Remember when Ronald Reagan in his run for the Presidency asked,
"
Are you better off today than you were four years ago?"
Apparently, most didn't think so, because President Jimmy Carter lost, and Ronald Reagan was elected the new President, and stayed in office for a full 8 years. Now, I notice that the Republicans have picked up the mantra and are chanting it every chance they get. And, apparently it is resonating with just a whole lot of voters, both old an new. Only time will tell what the outcome will be.
Personally ~ for myself; I can't speak for you ~ I can't say that I haven't had my knocks and bruises these past 4 years. Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. walked off with at least 20% per cent of what little retirement I had accummulated for retirement, and it has taken the intervening 4 years to build it back up to where it was. Did that make me mad? You can bet it did. Particularly, when the unethical bunch running the company walked away with a pretty big chunk of what should have been rightfully mine. Was it legal? Yes, bankruptcy is legal and often necessary. However, one must always ask, "What drove the company to bankruptcy?" In most of the cases that I have bothered to study, personally, much of it can be traced back to greed.
Some, however, have gone so far as to say that greed is the real fuel behind capitalism and entrepreneurial initiatives. I beg the differ with that assessment. Not every entreprener or businessman is greedy. I know a few millionaires that have hearts as pure as gold. Some are deceased, but their legacy lives on.
I am tempted to name them, but in doing so I would violate their wishes; so, I shall not.
So, my point is that you can not paint all businessmen with the color of greed, including the multimillionaires. No man or woman is a crook or insensitive just because they happen to be successful financially. Nor should we lay an exorbitant tax on their businesses either; because in reality you never really tax a business, you simple defer payment to the consumer in the long run.
I rejoice when I see my kids getting ahead ~ in most cases earning more that I ever thought of earning. My pride does not come so much in their financial success or lack of success, it comes with the fact that they all love the Lord and are generous with their time and talents, including their giving.
I am sure you feel they same about your children.
Being financially successful is a gift; and as any gift should be recognized as such. What we do with that success is really what matters.
Now, here is what James calls success in your daily walk with Christ, he says:
A religion that is pure and stainless according to God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (James 1:27)
There is much I can say about the role of a tender heart in leadership as advocated by James; however, this is can not be the sole criteria that we should apply in choosing our leaders. Mother Teresa had a tender heart ~ she took care of widows and orphans ~ but I can not imagine her elected President. A track record of proven leadership at the highest level is also very important. The highest office in the land is not an apprenticeship ~ kind of learn as you go position. So, the rule of thumb is, as I see it, if you elect a novice to office, then you expect a novice’s results.
So, in the current situation, the majority of the American electorate is just as responsible as the current Commander-in-chief if they do not feel better off today than we were 4 years ago. The old adage, “You got what you asked for,” certainly applies here. And, believe me, there is enough blame to go around.
Personally, I would not dare tell you how to vote, but I can without hesitation tell you to vote. This is not just your civic responsibility, it is also your Christian duty.
"
Are you better off today than you were four years ago?"Apparently, most didn't think so, because President Jimmy Carter lost, and Ronald Reagan was elected the new President, and stayed in office for a full 8 years. Now, I notice that the Republicans have picked up the mantra and are chanting it every chance they get. And, apparently it is resonating with just a whole lot of voters, both old an new. Only time will tell what the outcome will be.
Personally ~ for myself; I can't speak for you ~ I can't say that I haven't had my knocks and bruises these past 4 years. Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. walked off with at least 20% per cent of what little retirement I had accummulated for retirement, and it has taken the intervening 4 years to build it back up to where it was. Did that make me mad? You can bet it did. Particularly, when the unethical bunch running the company walked away with a pretty big chunk of what should have been rightfully mine. Was it legal? Yes, bankruptcy is legal and often necessary. However, one must always ask, "What drove the company to bankruptcy?" In most of the cases that I have bothered to study, personally, much of it can be traced back to greed.
Some, however, have gone so far as to say that greed is the real fuel behind capitalism and entrepreneurial initiatives. I beg the differ with that assessment. Not every entreprener or businessman is greedy. I know a few millionaires that have hearts as pure as gold. Some are deceased, but their legacy lives on.
I am tempted to name them, but in doing so I would violate their wishes; so, I shall not.
So, my point is that you can not paint all businessmen with the color of greed, including the multimillionaires. No man or woman is a crook or insensitive just because they happen to be successful financially. Nor should we lay an exorbitant tax on their businesses either; because in reality you never really tax a business, you simple defer payment to the consumer in the long run.
I rejoice when I see my kids getting ahead ~ in most cases earning more that I ever thought of earning. My pride does not come so much in their financial success or lack of success, it comes with the fact that they all love the Lord and are generous with their time and talents, including their giving.
I am sure you feel they same about your children.
Being financially successful is a gift; and as any gift should be recognized as such. What we do with that success is really what matters.
Now, here is what James calls success in your daily walk with Christ, he says:
A religion that is pure and stainless according to God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (James 1:27)
There is much I can say about the role of a tender heart in leadership as advocated by James; however, this is can not be the sole criteria that we should apply in choosing our leaders. Mother Teresa had a tender heart ~ she took care of widows and orphans ~ but I can not imagine her elected President. A track record of proven leadership at the highest level is also very important. The highest office in the land is not an apprenticeship ~ kind of learn as you go position. So, the rule of thumb is, as I see it, if you elect a novice to office, then you expect a novice’s results.
So, in the current situation, the majority of the American electorate is just as responsible as the current Commander-in-chief if they do not feel better off today than we were 4 years ago. The old adage, “You got what you asked for,” certainly applies here. And, believe me, there is enough blame to go around.
Personally, I would not dare tell you how to vote, but I can without hesitation tell you to vote. This is not just your civic responsibility, it is also your Christian duty.
Recently, our denominational offices here in Texas sent out the following information and since I can not improve on what they said, I will forward that on to you. Here it is:
In the 2008 general election, over 80 million voting-eligible citizens chose to give up their influence and not vote. I’m sure many God-fearing, loving believers were part of that number; I’m sure many of them today wish they had taken the time and put in the effort to register and vote.
Again, standing with you for what is right,P.S. Please continue to pray with us as we trust God for our travel expenses.
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