May 23 ~ Deuteronomy 31:6
Be brave and strong! Don't be afraid of the nations on the other side of the Jordan. The LORD your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In recent weeks, we have all heard the news reports about the controversy brewing in Arizona, where a movement to address the problem of illegal immigrants is afoot. The crackdown is a response to an increase in the number of immigrants who are taking up residence in Arizona and other border states and utilizing public services, even though they may not be legal residents of the United States. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed a law allowing police in her state to stop cars they suspect may contain illegal immigrants and demand identification. She has been accused of racial profiling and civil rights violations… and this controversy has sparked a national debate. Regardless of how you feel about this issue, we must accept the fact that much of the action and response are largely based in fear. More than that, we have to recognize that fear is one of the devil’s best tools!
Let’s be honest… we are all guilty of this to some degree. Many of us fear the person in the checkout line at Wal-Mart who looks like he/she is unclean or “a druggie.” Many of us fear the person who appears to be of another race who drives through our neighborhood or the parking lots in a car that doesn’t look like our shiny “American” sedans and SUVs. Many of us are scared to death of someone we perceive to be homosexual, whether we know this or are merely making an assumption. We fear what we do not fully understand. Someone who had a relative dying with AIDS once asked me, “Can I get it from hugging and kissing her?” This broke my heart! And for the record, the answer was “No!”
We have so forgotten who we are. We have failed to remember that we are ALL God’s children, and He loves each of us. God made each race and gave us all unique qualities. God may not be happy about a person’s choices, but He still loves the person. God loves people who are sick and dirty and homeless and strung out on drugs. He loves people with AIDS and cancer and warts! And He wants us to love them, too.
Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying we have to open our borders and allow any and all immigrants to enter into our homes - or that we have to compromise our values and beliefs about social issues like recreational drug use, sexually transmitted diseases, and anything done illegally. But we have to recognize that operating in fear does not change any of these things – in fact, if often makes them far worse. We say we believe in God’s power to save us, and then we act completely the opposite. It’s time we started “walking the walk and talking the talk.” It’s time we claimed God’s power and protection in our lives – and then acted on it. We need to reach out to others more. We need to say, “I don’t necessarily understand or agree, but I know that God loves you as much as He loves me, and that’s a good place to start.” We have sold God so short. It’s time to step up and start believing Him for BIG things. Be brave and strong! God will never abandon you!
©2010 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment