No Politics Today

I was all prepared to go all political today but there are still several months left in this primary season and then the lead up to the convention in mid-July, so I have plenty of time to expound and wax poetic on all things political. The ironic thing is all of the following thoughts are possible because I chose to get involved in the dirty business of politics. The Lord does work in mysterious ways.

I wanted to write today. New job news and many other things are in the works but the best thing is having a purpose greater than my own good. I had lost my way for many years while I just worked and went home and repeated the cycle every day. I had been driven by a job and money before. I no longer want to fall into that trap. While having a good job is great, I had been relying on myself too much.  I had been turning inward rather than turning toward God. I didn't realize how profoundly unhappy I had been until now. I am so glad I'm no longer trapped in a that old cycle.

There is so much more to life. There is a purpose above just a job. There are other people in this world that you can positively impact. Whether it is in deeds or words, there is always something you can do to help someone else. I had lost this purpose until I was led back to it. That there are people in my life that helped lead me back can be attributed to nothing but God's love and grace. I had done nothing to deserve what I've been given and there is no way I can ever pay back the kindness and love I've been shown, All I can do is try my best to live for God and in turn, show others what I've been shown.

So many thing have changed for me. I have lost the want to watch TV. I'd rather read or have a conversation with friends. I haven't had a drink of any sort of alcoholic beverage in almost 5 months. I used to drink to unwind a little. I don't need or want it any more. There is a peace that I have now that was missing before.

I notice things now that I didn't before this journey started. I find people that worry and complain more abrasive than before. Worry, anxiety and complaint are all just avenues to express doubt in God. There are no good reasons for these feelings. Instead, prayer has replaced those feelings in my life. One of my friends told me something a few months ago that has really stuck with me. A benefit of being a child of God is sweet peace in the midst of storms. Every time I find myself with a sliver of doubt or worry creeping in, I think that thought and I know I have no reason to worry.

I find things that didn't have any effect on me before do now affect me. I am pained by people that choose to follow false teachings relating to faith in God. I've been shown the truth. Telling people that they can live better and by doing that, they can experience salvation is nothing but a load of lies. The exact opposite is true. You'll just died a tired and condemned sinner. Before any true change can happen, you must accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. After that, the works will come naturally if you remain rooted in the Bible and have a network of people around you that are on the same path. Jesus said that his yoke is light. He was completely correct. Having a mentor in this incredibly helpful. I have several people that I look to in order to see how a godly man should act. I pray that I can be that person for someone else in the future.

I find myself thinking of others when in a large group. Before, I always thought of how my decisions would affect me. Would I gain success? Now, I think of the effect on others before I make the decision. That doesn't mean that I hold back when speaking the truth. If the effect on others is for them to not like me because I spoke the truth, I'm now OK with that. I'd rather be on the right side with God and offend someone rather than placating them for worldly gain. God willing, the truth that I spoke would convict that other person in the future and help them turn toward God. Living for God is so much more fulfilling than living for yourself, wandering(and maybe wondering too) from one day to the next.

One other thing that really gets to me now that I've had a chance to reevaluate life is mistreatment of women. I never gave that much thought to how a person treated those around them but now that I know so many godly ladies, mistreatment of women really gets to me. I knew politics was going to creep in...what I've seen and heard from people associated with the Trump campaign raises a righteous anger in me. I don't like letting injustices slide. I've seen the comment sections on news articles written about certain friends and those people that would deride someone, especially a lady, for no reason other than their own misguided notions will now elicit a reaction from me. I don't let these things slide. I want to stand in the gap between today's declining culture and my friends who have done nothing but live for God and try to help others. I've seen both sides of all of these cultural battles and I can say, unequivocally, that I know which side I'll stand on from now on. I'm on the side of those working for Jesus.

None of these changes were overnight. I know God has worked and will continue to work in my life as long as I keep my eyes on His face and continue praying for His guidance in all that I do. I know this post won't get the most likes on Facebook or be retweeted multiple times but I needed to let the world know of the transformative ways of a God that loves us, if only we'd believe on His goodness and accept his Grace in the form of the ultimate Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ.

Amen.