We Need Courage
These are difficult days for us as a nation. We are technically not in a recession anymore, however, we are still in bad shape. There are ongoing fears of a “double dip” recession. For many people it feels like we never got out of the first one because job growth and the recovery has been so slow. We now have Occupy Wall Street protesters all over the nation and anger and frustration are bubbling up all over. There are just as many folks who are mad at the protesters and think they need to go get a job rather than keeping others from working. Our nation is out of money, and politicians are arguing over what direction to take.
Anyone can gripe, complain, and blame others. What is fascinating to me is that the Occupy Wall Street protesters admit they do not have solutions. I contend that we will never find meaningful solutions until we better understand the real problems we are facing. The root of our financial crisis is not financial; it goes much deeper than that. While the situation is complex we all are smart enough to figure out that the solutions are not going to be easy. When you are out of money you cannot continue to spend like you have been spending; you have to either raise revenue or decrease spending, or do both. This is true for Greece, Italy, the United States, and it is true for our individual finances as well.
All the politicians know this, however, it appears one can’t get elected or reelected saying we are going to have to make hard decisions and it will require sacrifice. What we need today, both nationally and personally, is courage.
Before we demand that others display courage, we have to set the example. I used to tell my boys to be leaders and set the example. They often did not appreciate that counsel, because setting the example means we have to be different. And who wants to be different? Being different means being singled out, being misunderstood, and often having to stand alone. All of us like to be liked, and the best way to do that is to go with the flow and fit into the crowd.
Going with the flow and fitting into the crowd has never been the way anyone has ever followed Jesus. The Bible calls followers of Christ “temporary residents and foreigners” in this world. This world is not our home. We must develop the courage to be different and not go with the flow of culture. We are mad at the government for going into massive debt yet many of us have done the same thing with our own personal finances. We are angry that the government has not provided for social security in the years to come, but many of us have not planned adequately for our own retirement.
It is easy to blame others and point out their shortcomings. It is much harder to face our own problems and behaviors. We need to be full of courage, and take a long hard look at ourselves before we start focusing on others. It is difficult and risky to be different, but that is God’s call for every true follower of Christ. “So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the LORD!” (Psalm 31:24). Let’s be bold and full of courage and address our own issues. Let us pray for national leaders who will have the courage to make hard decisions. The recovery begins with us. Check out Dave Ramsey’s www.thegreatrecovery.com.
