224 – “Promises, promises…”

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE
By Hetty Gray

# 224

February 23, 2016

“Promises, promises…”

Promise: we all know the term. Perhaps at no other time do we hear it incessantly than during an election. Yet, the word boasts a much deeper history.

Defined, it can be either a noun or a verb. As a noun, we recognize the meaning as a vow, a pledge or an assurance. As a verb, it shares the vow and pledge with its noun form, but adds this: to make somebody expect something. Now, isn’t that a perfect definition when applied to politics?

Going back hundreds of years, we point to the promise of a new nation. Yes, begun by our Founding Fathers. (I hope this irks the feminist crowd moving for terms like “foreperson” of a jury. Those gender-neutral terms go on ad nauseum and — quite frankly — insult a person’s intelligence.)

From its inception, the United States promised a brighter future for its people and freedom rooted in belief in God and His word. Ah, yes, the Bible. If we can point to one source for applying the word “promise,” then the Bible, the most widely printed and distributed work of all time, is it.

People are fallible. People break promises, be they men or women. Yet, there is one who never breaks a promise — God.

I number myself among huge numbers of Americans who cringe at the United States and its current relationship with Israel. Israel dates back not hundreds, but thousands of years and boasts a God-given as the home of the Jewish people. The disintegrating relationship between our nation and Israel is dangerous and unprecedented. Never before in its history did Israel need us more, yet this administration not turns its back to the nation. Not only is it an administrative problem, but it also seems to be that of our chief executive who saw fit to escort the Prime Minister of Israel out the back door of the White House. Shocked? You should not be.

Over the past years we have heard comments such as “occupied territory.” Just who is the occupier? The Palestinians are claiming actual Israeli land and screaming for the world to back it up. What do we do? Defend the Palestinians who constantly pelt Israelis with rockets and send their attackers into Israeli streets with guns and knives to wreak havoc on innocent people.

Since 1948, the United States has stood shoulder to shoulder with Israel to fend off enemies, both individual and mutual, and put freedom front and center in the highly charged atmosphere of the Middle East.

If we judge promises on their merit, we must consider the end result. Do these promises last? Are they fleeting and only meant for an opportune moment in time? Are they made in response to an opportunity for the one who gives them? Hmmmm….. food for thought, folks.

Remember this. God’s promises are for all time. They do not have an expiration date. It is true that, as Christians, we believe that God made a new covenant with his son, Jesus. But that does not mean that we believe He canceled His covenant with Israel. Reading the Bible, it is easy to see that when a nation turned away from God, it lost His protection and engendered a very bad outcome. I fear we are headed down that same, sad path today.

If you consider a promise a cue for someone to expect something, the link between promises and politics is more than clear. However, it is critical to remember one message: a promise is only good if kept.

Coming full circle, promise and truth stand inseparable. A broken promise is worth nothing. A kept promise is worth everything.

There is, of course, a difference between a promise and an intention. Maybe we should look at electioneering and its promises in just this way. If we put our trust in someone’s good intentions, then we understand when world events or pressures adjust the timing of fulfilling such intentions.

However, we cannot turn a blind eye to the constant, incessant attacks on Christianity in this country. Materialism holds no serious power to change lives, unless you consider how it encourages greed and crime. Faith, on the other hand, gives hope to the downtrodden, comfort to the suffering, and peace to the true believer. We should not shy away from anyone who espouses a strong faith and lives it.

We need believers more than ever. Murder and mayhem in the name of God is the deadliest form of faith. We cannot allow it to gain ground. The Devil is at work in every sphere, even in the best nation on the face of the planet. What’s more, he comes in a very tempting form.

Christians should dedicate our lives to living out the messages of the Gospel. It is, in truth, the “Good News.” We need good news now. Find a balance between what is put before you as promise and what you can accept as a result. In the midst of it all, know that we are all human.

We should never turn our backs on the poor, but we should never be in the business of discouraging them from gainful employment and encouraging them to accept government help in lieu of honest work. We need to get our house in order and bring jobs home, regain our firm footing in manufacturing, and commit ourselves to building a better life for the next generation.

What’s more, this is a prime example of how attitude and values should rule. We need a recommitment to hard work and moral character. With those in play at every level of society, people thrive and work together for good.

It is fruitless to only think about today. We need to build for tomorrow. The debt of this nation is a disgrace. Once again, I recall the words of JFK, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Today, we see government outspending itself at every turn and failing to heed the consequences. None of it makes sense.

A business cannot operate without profit. It cannot continue to borrow with no end in sight. It thrives of good management. We need that right now. We need a bottom line and it should be black, not red. The most talented business people should negotiate for our trade, not political appointees or those who may have contributed to an electoral campaign.

We need to promise one another to love our country and, with that love, work to turn the Ship of State around. It is on the rocks and we are its only hope. This is a promise we cannot break. Yes, there is a big difference between the promises of God and those of man. But now, it’s our turn to make the big one and keep it. Think about it.

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