A Time for Whining and Whimpering?

By: American Decency Staff

A Time for Whimpering and Whining?

Much could be said about some of my early years of faith when God drew me to Himself by His Spirit and Word.

I would weep as I heard hymns of the faith – many that I had never heard before.  I never doubted God’s call or His presence in my life.

The last eleven years of my eighteen years as a teacher I believed that God had a specific calling upon my life. 

Now as a 66 year old who has walked by faith for 43 years and experienced God’s faithful hand and abiding presence since the very beginning –  I am in awe of the reality and working power of God!   He has taken me out of darkness and stood me up.  Stood me up to live and to stand some more.

Many of us have seen difficult times.  We have overcome before; we can do so again.

The Vietnam War era (and prior) was an extremely dark period in American history:  the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the assassination of his brother and then U.S. Attorney General, Robert Kennedy, and the assassination of Martin Luther King; the escalating anti-war protests, the National Guard shootings at Kent State University where the lives of college protestors were taken; the massive loss of life of U.S. military and Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai, etc.; Watergate; the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon.  The hurried and harried withdrawal of the American military from Saigon and Vietnam in the ‘70s; the President Jimmy Carter administration; high inflation; low military morale; a declining America.

Negativity, unrest and division marked America with little to no hope for a restoration of American exceptionalism: the special character of the United States as a uniquely free nation based on democratic ideals and personal liberty.

We need to seek His light and walk in the abiding Word of God.   Great benefit is garnered through leaders in the field.   One such voice is Mark Levin, former Chief of Staff for former U.S. Attorney General Ed Meese during the Reagan years. 

Levin writes:  The Conservativemust become more engaged in public matters.  It is his nature to live and let live, to attend to his family, to volunteer time with his church and synagogue, and to quietly assist a friend, a neighbor, or even a stranger.  These are certainly admirable qualities that contribute to the overall health of the community.  But it is no longer enough.  The Statist’s counterrevolution has turned the instrumentalities of public affairs and public governance against the civil society.  They can no longer be left to the devices of the Statist, which is largely the case today.

Parents and grandparents must take it upon themselves to teach their children and grandchildren to believe in and appreciate the principles of the American civil society  and stress the import of preserving and improving the society.  They will need to teach their offspring that the Statist threatens their generation’s liberty and prosperity, and to resist ideology alluring trends and fads.  Parents and grandparents by the millions can counteract the State’s indoctrination of their children and grandchildren in government schools and by other Statist institutions simply by conferring their knowledge, beliefs, and ideals on them over the dinner table, in the car, or at bedtime.  If undertaken on an intimate, purposeful, and consistent basis, it will shape a generation of new conservatives.  [Taken from “Liberty and Tyranny”, 2009 – a conservative manifesto]

It’s late in America but it isn’t too late. Not many can be on the biggest stages of our culture.  Only a few have that as their calling, their situation. 

If the layers of engagement, leadership, salt and light, teaching/preaching, parenting, grandparenting extend no deeper than the big arena (whatever that is) then the fault lies with us – particularly if we just cower in our various corners and whimper and whine and fail to be God’s instruments for righteousness and light right where we are.

You know it as do I – American has been deserving of God’s wrath for a long, long time.   Just read the accounts regularly in the news.  God is mocked. Degraded. Our Bible is belittled.  Television programs are produced to degrade our faith:  “Preachers’ Daughters,” as a recent example.

Yet, there is much that can be done.  Consider the following – no matter what your age. 

If prayer is all you can do from assisted living or your wheel chair than engage God with greater earnestness than ever before.

Be in the Word daily!  This isn’t tokenism.  God blesses those who seek Him.  You will be strengthened.  You will be encouraged. You will be prepared for greater service.

Get informed.  There are so many rich resources.  See our website for a resource list.  A good starting place is Mark Levin’s book mentioned above.

Be in a Bible-preaching, Bible-believing church that will preach against sin and lift up the Holiness of God and our need for salvation and preaches against homosexuality, same-sex marriage, abortion, pornography.  Be involved!

I intend to, and make no mistake:  It will include my efforts with my grandchildren. Walks, talks, playing, praying, counseling and calling out to them to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness! That may be the most important thing we do.  It’s time! 

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