If Not For Your Grace…
November 3, 2008 by Dawn
Filed under Bible Based Living
“Where would I be, if not for Your grace? Carrying me in every season. Where would I be, if not for Your grace? You came to my rescue, and I want to thank You for Your grace”. (Houghton)
That song, has resonated in my heart for the past few days. Maybe because we as a nation our entering a new season.
Despite which candidate wins the election tomorrow, this race will be historic and written of in textbooks that our future generations will read and learn. For the first time, an African American may become the President, or if a woman may become the Vice President of the United States. (Note I am not discounting the Mondale / Ferraro campaign).
As we enter this season, many questions have been asked.
What is our stand on abortion? Same sex unions? Stem Cell research? Taxes? The Second Amendment? Green energy? And so on.
Our candidates have provided us with mixed messages and contradicting terms and platforms within their own campaigns.
And I for one am confused.
Once someone told me that if I was confused to get excited because I was about to learn something.
To learn, I have to invest myself and learn for myself first what I believe to be my platform on each of the issues being debated by the parties, and then which candidate (or party) best matches what I believe to be true.
So, how do we determine what is true?
Some could say through our own personal life experiences. Using that classification, I can say that I have spent much of my life wandering through the different social classes. I have tasted being poor and living on the system, and I have lived a life of a successful business person with multiple properties and the luxury to do as I pleased. While I have been blessed to never be at the extreme measures of either of these financial positions, I can say that regardless of where I was financially, I paid taxes.
Okay, that being said – the issue of taxes doesn’t really make or break a candidate for me. Sure, they need to be consistent in their message of taxation, and have a clear plan – but we will continue to pay taxes as long as we have government based programs.
Another life experience. Abortion. I will admit that when I was pregnant with Matthew, I seriously considered terminating the pregnancy because I was in what seemed to be a hopeless situation. Everything I had, all my money, insurance, home, cars, job were tied into my business. If I left my husband at that time, I would lose my job, my car, my home, my money, etc., and be in my second trimester with two kids under the age of 3, trying to survive. Basically, unemployable, not insurable, and homeless.
Not a promising situation, so I made a choice – a choice to keep Matthew. This by no means states that I am pro-choice, because even though those thoughts ran through my head the determining factor for my decision was that I believe that God gave me Matthew (hence his name), and that terminating the pregnancy would equate to murder for me.
So, okay, life experiences tell me that I don’t really care about taxes, and that I believe abortion is wrong.
Is that enough to choose a candidate?
No.
Okay, what else? Maybe we should consider research. Look at the facts and the figures. Research could provide me with both candidates’ positions on the issues, and their solutions. While this is a good starting point, I can tell you that with the introduction of the Internet, we can find facts and figures to support our views regardless of where we stand. It depends on the search, and which sources are considered to be reliable and unbiased.
This weekend I watched a movie called Expelled, and it considered the argument of scientific research considering the theories of Darwinism and Intelligent Design. Through most of the movie it seemed that it was really an argument of Science versus Religion, but finally one of the scientists claimed that with any subject matter what really needs to be considered is our worldview. Our worldview is what determines which side of the fence we fall on, regardless of the issues we are debating. Our worldview is “a comprehensive and usually personal conception or view of humanity, the world, or life”. (www.encarta.com)
So life experiences and worldview, can we determine a candidate on that?
Maybe, but I would like to ask, how do we determine our worldview? How do we come up with our personal conception of humanity, the world, and life?
For me, it is through prayer, studying the Word, and worship.
Why?
It goes back to my earlier question, “Where would I be, if not for Your grace?”
Regardless of the season in my life, one thing has always held true, God.
Whether I was rich or poor, in sin or in grace, happy or sad, angry or depressed, single or married, you name it God was there. He does not change. The Word tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
The song goes on to say…
Grace that restores – Grace that redeems – Grace that releases me to worship
Grace that repaints – Visions and dreams – Grace that releases miracles
What visions and dreams do you have for this country? For your family? For your children’s children? Is the candidate you are voting for building this country up, providing a future for not only us but generations to come, or are they cashing in for their moment in time?
God’s grace can restore this nation. It can redeem our schools, churches, neighborhoods, families. His grace can provide us with freedom to release ourselves in worship.
God’s grace can repaint the visions and dreams of this nation. Not just ours, but the visions and dreams of those who came here long before us, those who had a hope of a new life, a new opportunity free from persecution, free to believe.
God’s grace can provide the miracle that this country needs.
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