State of the Union Address
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Last night I, along with many people around the world, tuned in to watch the President's State of the Union Address. I've always enjoyed watching this speech, no matter who was in office, simply for the fact that I am a fan of looking where we've been, are currently, and are going. No matter what your political party affiliation, I think we can all agree that this type of introspection is especially needed in our country today. In fact, I think it is the type of attitude that never needs to leave our minds - daily evaluation is never a bad thing.
President Obama said in his speech last night, speaking to our current budget crisis:
Like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we don't. And if I have to enforce this discipline by veto, I will. (Applause.)My thought, as I'm sure is the thought of many others, is - shouldn't this be our mentality all the time? Whether in times of blessing or in times of crisis, shouldn't we be acting within the confines of a budget? Now before you think this post is getting ready to go political, let me make clear where I am headed. Much like our government (all parties included), most people act differently in times of blessing than they do in times of crisis. I believe it is one of those areas of our life we have to relearn as we are being renewed (Rom. 12:1).
Because as I look through scripture, I don't see a God that bases His actions on the state of the economy or other factors that seem to play into our own, sometimes confused, decision making. Rather, as it says in 1 Cor. 14:33 - "...for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace." And if we are called to be like him, shouldn't there be some consistency, some peace, in our own lives even during times of crisis? You see this principle throughout scripture, yet one of my favorites is found in Genesis 41:29-32. Here we see Joseph interpreting a dream for the Pharaoh of Egypt, telling him to store up grain (stick to a budget) during the coming 7 years of abundance. Why? Because there were 7 years of famine that were to follow.
So what does all of this mean? What does the President's speech, or Pharaoh’s dream, have to do with my life today? The answer is simple. What is the State of the Union in your life? Or maybe to put it in another way, what is the State of Your Family / Relationship with God / Career / Physical health? To answer this, we need to know where we have been, where we are, and have a clear plan of where we are going. And this always requires us to "budget". We all get 24 hours each day... are you investing them with intention? Or are you carelessly squandering them away because you just happen to be in some years of abundance (nothing bad is happening in your life). Know that crisis will come, it always does. And the one who will be able to walk through it peacefully will be the one who has taken the time to "invest" - giving God their Heart / Soul / Mind / Strength.
Praying for you as you prepare your "State of the Union Address",
Jonathan Absher
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