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PATIENT TRUST

  The titles of my last three columns have been: “Overshadowed By God’s Spirit,” “God and The Boston Bombing,” and “Choose your God Today.”

  This column encourages readers who are asking this serious question: “What can I do to restore God as the sovereign of the United States?” My answer will be to share what I am doing.

  I recognize how futile it would be to try to influence the Supreme Court, the Senate, or the House of Representatives to restore the Bible, Ten Commandments, prayer and Christian holidays in public schools. Those institutions are filled with members who consider religion, morality and ethics to be nothing but political issues. They vote for and stand for whatever will garner votes to keep them in office. Our government has removed God, morals and ethics as their guiding star and have set their guidance system on our culture and what pleases the majority of voters.

  I am reaffirming my faith and commitment to the Biblical God as the God of the universe, the only true God and the guiding star of our nation. I dedicate myself to God’s son Jesus Christ and pledge total allegiance to follow him to the best of my ability. I prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to guide me every day to be aware of things that I need to do and what I need to say.

  Here is my problem. I get impatient when I am not able to do something physical and visible. I tend to want to see wrongs righted immediately. I want to force our elected officials to change their liberal attitudes toward moral and ethical values. In other words, I want God to answer my prayers now.

  God seldom answers prayers immediately. Anxious people may publicly demonstrate. Often they experience a sense of defeat when their demanded changes do not occur.

  Waiting for God’s slow work causes impatience and we ask: “Are we there yet?” We want to skip the intermediate stages that God must use to bring about the new and the better reality. We dislike the instability that comes from having to wait.

  I recall that it seemed to take me forever to reach age sixteen. I also recall that most of my most productive thoughts and action have matured gradually. I try to encourage myself not to push the river but let it carry me.  I forget that I cannot become today what it will take much grace and many circumstances and challenges to mold me to become what I shall become tomorrow.

  Only God’s infinite wisdom can say what this new spirit gradually forming within me will become.  My faith must rise to the new level that empowers me to give God the credit for believing that his hand is strong enough to lead me every step.

  But, what of the uncomfortable anxiety that I feel when I am not in control? What must I do when fear and tension overpower me, when I realize that I am suspended without a firm place for my feet to stand? Is it possible that I am, “Walking by faith and not by sight?” (2 Cor.5: 7)

  Or perhaps this clarifies the meaning of: “It does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that we shall be made to be like Jesus when we see him as he is.”(1 John 3:2)

  Prayer: “Father. Grant me the courage to permit you to make me into an instrument of your Holy Spirit to bring about your will for my home, my community, my state, my nation, and my world. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.”