Choosing to build on a solid foundation

This Presidential election has caused a lot of stress and frustration to say the least. Each campaign relied on the same strategy of trying to intentionally scare and convince voters about what would happen if the other candidate took office and to some degree - both sides had a valid point. Sadly, it was reported that both candidates were more strongly disliked than any nominees in the past ten presidential cycles. For those who believe in praying for God’s will to be accomplished and the importance of submitting to governing authority, the 2016 election has left many wondering if the best person actually won. Whatever your worldviews, the Lord wants to encourage you today with hope and joy about who He is!

Jesus in the sixth chapter of Matthew, teaches there is no need to feel anxious or fearful. He has the ability to see the future and has always known the hostile atmosphere every generation would be dealing with. We are spiritual creatures but the problem is that we are also heavily influenced by our emotions. Christ said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” The idea here is to simply trust Him. When we realize our weakness and sincerely believe He is in control, we can rest in the peace of His presence. His message continues, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself and has its own share of troubles.” Yes, we live in a time of concern, but if we allow ourselves to become despaired and discouraged about the political system, we are certainly not helping our blood-pressure and our negative attitude can actually cause us to become a bitter and miserable person.

The problem with being overly focused on negative events that “might” happen is that we lose focus on the positive and definite things we could be doing. Fighting and stressing about who sits in the Oval Office will not change what happened, however, if we can direct our attention to the real purpose why we are here which is to pray and seek God’s face, we can continue being spiritually effective for His glory. From a Christian perspective, let us consider that Jesus never ran for office even though the political atmosphere in His day was also aggressive and at the center of attention. It was not that Jesus was uninformed or did not care about society, but rather He simply chose to not allow politics to distract Him from His mission – and neither are we. He had no intention of becoming a political candidate nor was He seeking votes, but His agenda has always been devoted to searching for the hearts of those who would believe in Him.

The message of Jesus relays that government is not our highest priority, but instead emphasizes the focus should be our relationship with God and reflecting the light of His love. The Jewish people were hoping He would step forward as their king who would establish heaven-on-earth and deliver them from the political stronghold of the Roman Empire. However, He was trying to teach them (and us today) how to live as a spiritual citizen of heaven while also functioning in this earthly realm at the same time. This is not easy, but when men and women allow God to transform their minds and souls, we will see love, peace and compassion flourish. The condition of the world is a direct result of the way humans think and act. True greatness has nothing to do with wealth or influence but has everything to do with the spiritual foundation we are building our life upon.

Dr. Holland lives in Central Kentucky with his wife Cheryl, where he is a Christian author, outreach minister and community chaplain. To learn more visit: billyhollandministries.com