After months of unbridled anger, spewed hatred, poisonous vitriol, and plain old fussing and fighting in our nation’s now epic battle over reducing spending in Washington D.C., it appears as though we might have a debt crisis deal today provided those old boys and gals in the Senate will come through with a yes vote.
WOW! Now that the battle has been fought and is over is everyone up for a street celebration tonight?
What are the terms of this big deal?
We reduce spending $400 billion immediately for a start.
We are spending approximately $5 billion a day so that amounts to a full eight days worth.
YIPPEEEEE!
But wait there’s more, we will reduce it another $500 billion later this fall.
WHOOPEEE! Who let the dogs out? Yes who – who?
But wait there’s even more: $1.5 trillion in additional cuts will be made later provided a bipartisan committee can agree on what to cut.
Huh? They won’t be able to agree on anything.
No worries we’ll just automatically cut defense and Medicare.
UH RAH! Break out the champagne….
Hmmm… $22 billion in cuts compared to $14.4 trillion in debt. I was never any good in math but let’s see now… $22 billion…divide $14.4 trillion…carry my…divide…my remainder is…Okay, isn’t that about .7%.
How much debt do you have? Just imagine if you could reduce your spending a little less than 1%. Oh what a day of rejoicing that would be…Eh?
YIKES! Maybe I’ll just have a couple of aspirins and a glass of cold water please.
Somehow I’m not all that encouraged, but fear not the “spin will now begin“. Reality will not be the issue. Making constituents believe that they should be happy that their representative got a good deal for them will be of the first order.
Unreal….
Here is a Reality check for us that is real: Sooner or later our country is going to have to face reality and get serious about making spending cuts and it’s going to affect many people who are currently on the government dole. When the dole goes away it will result in more than angry words and I’m afraid that many of those people will take to rioting in the streets similar to the anti-war and civil rights riots of the 60’s. Take a look at the folks in Greece and fast forward to some of our U.S. cities. It’s not hard to imagine the looting and “burn-baby-burn” mentality that will rampage. Maybe that’s why our leaders, who are ever-focused on re-election and staying on the dole themselves, won’t get serious about it…
Facing reality is not a popular thing in this modern world; we seem to prefer not to think about the unpleasantness around us, and certainly want to avoid making the tough decisions. A popular defense mechanism that has arisen in the past couple of decades or so is the “spin”. This has become an art form of political parties and the media, and is used to distort the reality of a situation and make it seem different, (better or worse), than it really is.
It is often difficult to know what the truth is these days because the spin-doctors or spin-meisters as they are sometimes referred to are very good at what they do. They can spout propaganda and distort facts faster than Hugo Chavez and Ahmadinejad put together.
Spin may work in the United States Congress and the media but it doesn’t work with God. There is no escape from His watchful and attentive eyes and He knows everything about us. News Flash: The truth matters to God. He does not like lies of any kind.
The Bible tells us that all sin has consequence. We cannot lie and escape the consequence for it no matter how we try to spin it. The same holds true for stealing, or any other sins we might commit. There is a spiritual reality check that is pure and true and it is administered by a fearful judge.
The moral of the story is to tell the truth, even when it’s not pleasant. If we mess up, we shouldn’t lie about it, we should just ‘fess up to God and repent or turn away from our poor behavior and resolve ourselves to do better.
Unfortunately that doesn’t mean we can escape the consequence of our sin. Being remorseful is a necessary step in coming to the Lord, but it will not absolve us of “reaping what we have sown”.
For example we might regret throwing a rock at a glass window just as soon as it leaves our hand, but unfortunately all of the remorse in the world will not prevent it from shattering the glass. The consequence of sin can and will shatter lives in the exact same manner. It is sin’s ugly nature.
Some folks who are currently having an “affair” will commit adultery today. Upon consumation of this act today, they might even come to their senses and deeply regret it and mabe even decide to end it. While that would be commendable and the intelligent thing to do, losing their family through a divorce after their spouse finds out about it, or being beat up or shot and killed by an angry spouse when they discover it, or being fired from their job when their boss finds out about it, or catching a disease and dying from it, and/or being consumed with horrendous guilt will not be denied and they will not get away with it without consequence. One way or the other the piper will be paid. It is far better not to have an affair today or any day.
But sometimes we just screw up. What then?
Fortunately we have a Savior who will help us to pick up the broken pieces of our sinful lives and help us repair the damage of consequences and put us back together again, provided we are remorseful and will turn to Him in full sincerity and not in spin mode. We must repent, (or turn away from), our former ways and follow Him and all things are possible. It works in our personal lives and interestingly it works for entire nations.
Don’t you wish our nation would become remorseful, repent and turn back to God whose name was called upon by our founding fathers? Does anyone remember these sayings: “One nation under God”; “In God we trust”?
We can do that in our personal lives beginning today and we should pray that our nation does likewise.
2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.