This past Saturday at Fireside Church we finished our series “How did we get into this mess?” by talking about ethics in our government.
Where is our trust?
We are quick to point out corruption in our government but we need to acknowledge that our political leaders are a reflection of the people, and moral issues we see in their leadership represent the morality of the people as a whole.
With governmental programs that give financial aid, childcare, healthcare, and other assistance, we can come to depend on our government to provide for us and solve our problems. But ultimately, the government will fail. Both of these points should encourage us to put our hope in God, not in our government, and remind us to pray for our political leaders (see 1 Timothy 2:1-2).
Embody the change
Just as with ethics in business (our discussion last week), change doesn’t happen from the top down. Lasting change comes from the bottom up and is a slow process. It starts with us as we learn to be like Jesus. Then, it spreads to those in relationship with us.
Our video mentioned William Wilberforce, who spent his life in British Parliament fighting to end slavery in the British Empire. In his case, he succeeded in affecting change because he worked to change the minds of ordinary people, who in turn elected members of Parliament who ultimately abolished both the slave trade and slavery itself.
Are you up for a challenge?
When we encounter something we want to change, the most effective thing we can do is practice the change ourselves. We can do this by getting to know Jesus and letting him help us do the right thing. Need a place to start? We have six small things you can do this week.