I was looking through some old papers the other day. As a child, I had a tendency to save everything I thought was even remotely important.
At the age of 10, I began to develop a great interest in politics. As such, from the late 60’s, I started to collect important information.
I came across magazines from the 60’s, including a scrapbook with articles about the Kennedy assassination, indicating that I began collecting articles at just 9 years of age.
Anyway, I figured it was time to get rid of some stuff. I also saved the letters I got from congressmen. Since they came from a congressman, I thought it was essential information.
A congressman from the 70’s reported how necessary it was that we deal with the national debt. He said it would not be long before our debt would surpass 1 trillion dollars!
I laughed at that one since it is now around 20 trillion, and when you add the pension liabilities many government entities have accumulated, it is almost impossible to comprehend the enormity.
Since that time, many politicians have run campaigns on the “need to do something about the debt,” but even the ones who have won simply added to the debt.
Debt is not always bad; when making investments for the future, it can actually be very good. This is especially true when investing in tangible assets. Once you pay them off, you can add to your net worth. Unfortunately, this is not the case with the government, or with many of the businesses of our day.
In fact, businesses have recently used the low interest rates as an opportunity to buy their own stock in order to increase the value of the stock; then carrying unnecessary debt.
It appears that we have become a nation of delusional people, not recognizing the increasing loss of capital for the future. This collective delusion seems to pervade our whole society.
The Problem Is Man!
As a person observing current events and history, I have noticed something about human nature. We often display a herd mentality.
When people “think outside the box,” they often succumb to group thinking once they become a part of the establishment. This has proven true in Washington, as both political parties have made enormous contributions to the national debt.
When do we usually deal with major problems? Unfortunately, when we are forced to! Even the tremendous economic shaking of 2008-2009 had little lasting impact on our economic direction.
The Bible pinpoints the problem with man. It goes all the way back to the beginning in the Garden of Eden. Mankind’s natural response is to be motivated by the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes.
The third component, the pride of life, blinds us to the possibility of the consequences of our behavior. The signs of this are everywhere.
The economic signs are the most evident, but our refusal to acknowledge the wisdom of God’s Word, and the need for restraint upon the human condition, is taking us down the road of catastrophic consequences.
Our society is demanding unrestrained behavior, with the only goal being self-satisfaction.
The Bible tells us that ultimately, God will give us what we desire. In 2 Thessalonians it says, “He who restrains will be taken out of the way in order the consequences of human lawlessness can be revealed.”
This sounds scary to me until I read the end of the plan of God. After our failure, He comes to save us “with the brightness of His coming and the breath of His mouth.”
In other words, the power of “His Word.” I hope that you will join me in declaring His Word, which speaks of both warning and mercy. I know that if we will hear His Word, we will not need the mercy; we will be able to shine with Him in a time of great distress!
The Rev. Loren Covarrubias is pastor of Mt. Zion