In the last couple weeks several of my neighbors have put up Obama signs in their yard. It’s given me the urge to put a sign in my yard, but not for Obama or McCain.
I have a love-hate relationship with politics. As a “systems guy” who loves to find solutions to large problems, I find the issues fascinating. As a “sports guy” who loves competition, I find the race compelling. But I hate the bickering and one-sided, talking-point-fueled arguments.
But the thing I hate most about politics, though, is that it has become a “false god.” It seems like more people than ever before believe our elected leaders can and will solve the biggest problems we face today. A lot of people seem to be looking to “their guy” as their savior.
The sign I’d like to put in my yard is…
PoliticsCannotFixIt.com
(No, it’s not a real site.) This is what I would put on the website…
Are you feeling anxious in this time of economic uncertainty? Are fearful of another terrorist attack? Are you frustrated because our government doesn’t seem to be making any progress to reduce poverty, increase access to health care, clean up the environment, and keep the cost of food and energy under control? Do you feel like our country is headed in the wrong direction? If so, you’re not alone.
But don’t expect Barack Obama or John McCain to change that.
The Historical Evidence
Politicians of both parties have been promising to fix these problems for 50 years. We’ve had Republican presidents and Democrat presidents, Republican majorities in congress and Democrat majorities in Congress, we’ve even had periods where one party controlled both houses of Congress and the Presidency.
Lyndon Johnson gave us the Great Society programs, Ronal Reagan cut taxes, and Bill Clinton and a GOP Congress reformed Welfare. Through all of this we have continued to experience moderate economic growth, business cycles marked by periodic recessions, and the poverty rate has remained strikingly unchanged.
We have built lots of new prisons, put 100,000 new cops on the street, and passed stricter gun control laws and crime rates have remained relatively unchanged.
We have fought wars in Vietnam, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and sent troops into many other places. We have negotiated countless peace agreements. And yet the world is neither remarkably safer nor remarkably more dangerous as a result.
The Root Cause
The fact is that our government hasn’t ended crime, poverty, and conflict, because it is incapable of doing so. The reason for this is because the biggest problems we face today are not caused by bad government systems and therefore can’t be solved by government systems. They are caused by our flawed human nature. They are caused by the fact that the human heart is inherently selfish.
What is crime? It is a willful act of selfishness to break the law and hurt someone else because the person thinks it will benefit them. Crime is a heart problem.
What causes poverty? The majority of households living below the poverty line are single-parent households. Divorce and broken relationships are a heart problem. There is also a strong correlation between poverty and drug/alcohol abuse, poor education due to lack of parental involvement, and a lack of hope for the future. All of these are heart issues. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming people in poverty for their circumstances. I am saying that in most cases adult poverty in the U.S. is the result of a collection of self-centered, short-sighted choices by individuals, their parents, drug dealers, friends with negative influence, and lots of people around them who could help but don’t.
The Solution
If you want to live a life free that is free of fear – fear of economic uncertainty, fear of terrorism, fear that you’ll get sick and won’t get proper medical care. If you want to live a life that is hopeful for the future, and if you want to see this country become a better place in the future, let me offer 5 solutions.
1) Stop listening to politicians and the media.
Barack Obama is telling us we have an economic crisis, a health care crisis, an energy crisis and so forth because the worse you think things are the more we will want to vote for him to make changes. John McCain is also telling us we are facing crises in these areas because he needs to appear empathetic and needs to distance himself from President Bush so we will vote for him. The media is telling us we are in crisis because a) they have to report what the politicians are saying and b) they predominantly focus on bad news because drama sells papers and captivates viewers.
Together Obama, McCain, and the media are focusing all our attention on the negative and none of it on the positive. We could reduce our fear and anxiety levels, if we stopped listening to them.
2) Change perspective
Yes, we are facing some challenges these days, but one’s feelings and anxiety levels concerning these challenges depends on your perspective. Here are some examples.
Fact: Unemployment is at a 5 year high.
Perspective: The unemployment rate is still only 6.1%. That means 93.9% of people are working. That is one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world.
Fact: 47 million Americans have no health insurance
Perspective: That’s 16%. 84% of Americans have health insurance. Of those who don’t, almost half of them have incomes more than twice the poverty level and can afford it.
Fact: Foreclosures are at an all-time high
Perspective: Home ownership rates are at an all-time high, and 99% of homeowners are not facing foreclosure.
Pervasive Opinion: American is on the wrong track.
Perspective: We are the wealthiest society in human history. Even Americans who live below the poverty line generally have a home or apartment, a car, access to health care, public education, TV, Internet, cell phone, and more.
If one of my kids came home with report card that had 93.9%, 84%, and 99% on it, I would be rather pleased and not think they (or the school) is failing. No it’s not perfect, but it’s not a crisis. If you want to know what crisis is go to Haiti, go to North Korea, go to Sub-Saharan Africa.
3) Seek God rather than the elimination of risk
We live in the safest society in human history. We have life insurance, health insurance, auto insurance, disability insurance, FDIC insurance, and so many others I can’t name them all. We have the longest life expectancy in human history and the best medical care. Yet somehow there is more anxiety and fear than ever before. Why?
More than ever we have become preoccupied by the “what if’s.” What if I lose my job? What if I get sick? What if my car breaks down? Life is full of risk. It can’t be entirely eliminated. Rather than seeking to live a life that is completely safe and risk-free, put your trust in God. God does not promise to protect us from all of life woes but he does promise to carry us through the difficult times and use all things for good if we love and obey Him. Your life will be immeasurably better if you focus on the blessings and promises of God’s than trying to eliminate every single risk from your life.
4) Examine your heart and your life
Most of the world’s problems are heart problems. They are the result of people acting selfishly. While the tendency is to look at other people selfish and self-destructive behavior, the place to start is by looking at our own hearts and our own lives. God through the Bible offers tons of guidance for how to have a fulfilling marriage, to raise our kids well, to manage our finances, to live in harmony with those around us, to manage our time, and more.
Imagine how much less anxious would you be if you had 3-6 months of living expenses in the bank because you were following God’s guidance about saving and living within your means? Imagine how much less stress would you experience if you and your spouse were a unified team helping each other through difficult times rather than bickering and blaming? Imagine how much hope you would have, if you were reading the Bible daily and confident in God’s promises for the future?
5) Offer hope to others
When you examine your heart and your life, when you seek God and following His guidance your life will improve dramatically. But it doesn’t stop there. If we want our country and the world to change, we must not only seek God’s power, hope, and guidance in our own lives, but offer it to others.
Government can’t change a single human heart. Only God can.
Give to the poor. Serve those in need. Tutor a child. Help a single parent in a way that gives them more time with their kids. Be a sponsor for someone overcoming addiction.
Then in addition to helping physically, offer spiritual help. Introduce them to the same God who has given you grace, peace, hope for the future, guidance, and power to overcome any circumstances.
Thanks Paul for a great post!
I am envious (in a complimentary way) of people that have the gift of putting into words, what my mind thinks, but my mouth cannot produce!
You did just that! Keep up the great work..
I’ve been following the campaign and have watched all the debates. Erik and I watch Fox news every night, Shepard, Hume and O’Reilly. Bottom line – JOHN MCCAIN BELIEVES IN GOD. He is truthful and a good example for our young ones. In my twenties I did not want to hear what the media has to say because the focus on the negative–afterall tragedy sells. Now that I am a proud mom of five I want to know what my kids are in for. Maverick or not he has my vote. It’s a good think afterall because if I have to see one more bumper sticker that reads THIS MAMA BACKS OBAMA my collision insurance is bound to go up (lol). Kudos Paul –very well spoken
I’ve never seen our country as divided as it is during this election. I have to say that I have had concerns about my own reaction to the outcome so this is very timely. Thank you Paul, for putting it right back in to perspective and reminding all of us that the outcome really doesn’t matter – it’s our heats that we need to guard. Very well put.
Good article Paul, I enjoyed reading and it changed my focus and perspective a bit regarding the election ahead.
Our country is what we have made it. God is the only answer to any problems we have created.
Only when our government puts the focus back on God will things start to improve instead of become worse.
It seems the more they try to remove God from the picture, the more gloomy the picture becomes.
Christians need to unite and show non-belivers the hope we have and the One we have to lean on.
Drugs, Alcohol, and violence is not the answer.
Our kids need to be raised with a focus on God or our society is in for a rude awakening.
May the best candidate win tomorrow – whomever that may be
Wow! I’m really impressed by this article. Well stated Paul. Our focus needs to be on God alone.
Maybe you should consider a blog.
Thanks for this taste of reality! We must keep our eyes on Jesus and not look to man. Man will always let us down.
Great article!
Thank you Paul for this post! Very nice job. It was wonderful to read and be reminded that people can’t fix everything only God can and it starts with our hearts.
Thanks for all the great comments. I’m glad to hear this article was of some value to you.
And a big shout out to faculty of Immanuel Lutheran School in Brandon, FL who have been reading and discussing the article and what this election means for their students.