I am very concerned about our country and where it’s headed. That’s no newsflash for most Christians…most of us are deeply troubled by what we see.

I grew up as a little girl in a small town in Missouri in the late 1950’s and early 60’s.   Life was simple and safe in Lamar, especially in the summer.   Give a kid a bicycle, pool pass, Wednesday matinee pass and life was good.

Sadly, my life started falling apart at the tender age of 10.   My parents were fairly well respected in town, but when my dad (a deacon in our local church) went off the deep end with my mom’s best friend, it was the beginning of the end.

Their messy divorce was one of the first among the middle class in town.   The humiliation and destruction it brought to my mom, brother and me still stings today.

But I’m not here to bash my family.  I love and miss them.   Thankfully, they all turned to God later in their lives and they are with Him in glory today.

The breakdown of the family, though, is – in my opinion – the leading cause of the near demise of our country.

But why does it break down?   Because we have turned from God.   It’s that simple.

1)  Life is no longer looked upon as a gift from God, but as something to be played with and even terminated.   Why is this so detrimental?   Life is created by God.  Only God can breath life into anyone.   It started in 1973 and now it is not uncommon to hear of late-term abortions by the hundreds and thousands.   Euthanasia is freely bantered about and assisted suicide is not even a shock anymore.

2)  Moral decline in so many forms.   Good is viewed as bad, and evil is considered good and normal.   But we are warned in Isaiah 5, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”  

Those who speak for God’s precepts are deemed as out of touch and haters.   If we dare turn to Scripture for answers we are labeled as extremists.

Pastors are afraid (or neglect) to preach the power of God’s Word.  And sadly, our country exhibits the consequences.

3)  Parents are no longer honored.   Though it may have started earlier, this certainly wasn’t helped with shows in the 1980’s that started portraying parents (especially Dads) as idiots and children as smarter than their parents.   Now we have generations of kids who not only disrespect their parents, but despise them.

4)  Marriage needs to be held in honor!  I’m stunned by the percentage of people, even those who claim to be Christian, who live together before marriage.   Sometimes, I hear that they want to know if this is the “right one,” before marrying.   This seems to come from the fact that their parents have divorced and they don’t want to make the same mistake.   I’m not going to even ask the question, I’m going to make the statement.   You can NOT seek God and hear from Him while living in sin.   I’m not going to limit His power to get your attention, but those 2 just do not go hand in hand.

5)  So many churches have become self-gratifying social clubs.   Society’s entitlement attitude has slipped into the church.   Christians either want what their tickling ears want to hear, or are not satisfied with what they’re getting.   The pastor is blamed for “not feeding” the members.   Divisiveness is in the church (as well as families) and is one of Satan’s greatest tools to tear people, families, friends and churches apart.

Someone recently asked me if I though Christians would be stronger in our country if we had persecution like what the rest of the world is experiencing.   I don’t know.   I really don’t want to find out.

One thing I do know – WE NEED REVIVAL!   WE NEED TO SEEK GOD…on our knees and in His Word.   We need to love like there’s no tomorrow, and encourage ’til the cows come home.   We need to search for His precepts in His Word.   Psalm 119 brings this out most vividly and one verse that kind of sums it all up is verse 104.  “From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.”

May we hate evil and love good, and may God bless us as we turn to Him.

This will not be a popular post, I know.  But I’m not out to please everyone else first.  Paul understood this in his life.   “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”  (Galatians 1:10)

God has given His precepts because of His holiness, but also for our good.   They are a safety net and protect us from all kinds of harm. They give us life, not only eternal life, but they give us life now.   Let’s go for life.