We live in a world that wants to take care of you.  Young people need not be concerned about getting a job. The government wants to give you free health care via Medicaid, free education through college, free job training should you want it, help pay for a mortgage if you did get a job, potential unemployment checks available and if not working give a housing allowance in a winterized house with solar panels, a welfare check when needed and provide food stamps. Everyone is saying we are leaving a tremendous debt burden for our grandchildren.  Not if none of them ever have to work.  What more could they ask for?  Therefore kids, you don’t need my help, I will just keep paying my taxes and the government will take care of you.

For those who decide to work will have to provide for those unwilling to take any personal responsibility.  If congress does not pass something prior to yearend, those working will have to help pay for the largest tax increase in American history.  It is projected that taxes in 2013 could increase by as much as $650 billion if nothing is done.  For those older, the estate taxes in death could apply to anyone having accumulated over $3.5 million and anything over that the government would get 45%.  The Alternative Minimum Tax could hit millions of tax payers, another added tax.  Then cities, counties and states need their taxes.

Many may not remember when about 40% of those living in America were farmers and they prayed that God would help them have a good crop that would hold them over to the next year.  The only ones they could rely upon were God and their neighbors. My father had a job but we also had a cow, chickens and a large garden.  My mother canned enough to last until next year. The government’s job was to provide defense of our country and a judicial system that provided law and order.   We expected nothing more.

Shouldn’t you ask yourself: What would Christ do if living today?  Don’t you think He would tell us that we need to work hard, take care of our family, have faith in God and help our neighbors?  Don’t you think our government has disregarded Christian principles and values that the Bible teaches?  Is the government trying to take the place of God in our lives?  Can the government financially afford to borrow enough to finance the needs of 50% of our population needing entitlements?  What will happen when they run out of money as they will?  Will we be having rioting and looting in the streets as we are seeing in foreign countries?

Scripture tells Christians to become separated from the world?  What does that mean?  One thing it means is personal responsibility and accountability.  Our allegiance must be to God first and to the Judeo/Christian principles this country was founded upon.  For those who have studied history, tell us what makes a nation great is its culture.  It is what they believe and what they value.  Our country always promoted the need to work hard, to be personally responsible, obtain a good education, be a service to one’s community and be selfless.  This was a nation that put their trust in God and its citizens whole heartedly supported that belief.

I, for one, am concerned that there have been too many changes and too many hateful of America’s purpose in the world.  Americans were missionary minded and tried, unsuccessfully, to spread its principle, beliefs and values around the world.  But the world did not accept it.  They preferred to worship other gods.  The god that they idolized most was a “big government”.  They wanted a government that would accept the responsibility for everyone that was not successful or would not be responsible for their own welfare.

Can a nation sell its soul for safety and prosperity?  I sometimes wonder if there aren’t politicians who would sell their souls to become elected.  The reason I wonder is because that question was asked on TV of politicians running for the first time for congress.  The question: “Do you think you can stand up to party leaders who want you to sell your soul for the good of the party”?  What politician would say:  “No I would have to cave in”?  Then why is it they seem to make decisions based on getting re-elected rather than what seemingly is best for America?

Why are so many people unwilling to ask what God expects from each of us?  Why were we placed on this earth and what is our purpose?   Why are we unwilling to serve and would rather be served?  Why can we be so self-centered instead of being Christ centered?  How often are we grateful for the opportunities that are available?

Are we going to think as the world does or are we go to think as the Bible teaches?  We are told to be courageous and have a positive attitude.  Attitudes are not something we can teach. They must be something we get from something or somebody.  One’s attitude is a personal thing.  It is how we see ourselves.

We need to dwell on the positive, rely on God’s help to reject what we are hearing on TV or reading in the paper.  Others need to see us as examples for what is right and not what others are doing.  Don’t consider what our country can do for us but what we can do for our country.  Remember JFK’s statement?  It applies more than ever today!

By Abraham Lincoln

“You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.  You cannot keep out of financial trouble by spending more than you earn.  You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.  You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.  You cannot further the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred.  You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.  You cannot build character and courage by taking away initiative and independence.”