As early voting began yesterday for many Americans (for whatever reason this happened before the last presidential debate, I have no idea) there are a few extremely important facts that we as Americans, need to consider. As Americans, the current law of the land in which we live, dictates that we are represented by a leader, that through our current democratic process, is elected by the people. My Bible says, that we are to abide by the law of the land, unless that law goes against Gods law. While you may or may not agree with the principals and/ or moral standards of either candidate, our right to serve the God of our choice, in the manner in which we choose, is an American right that whomever is elected President has an obligation to uphold, based on the Constitution of the United States. That’s what it means to be an American.
To date, I have watched all three Presidential debates and throughout the entire election, I believe one candidate spoke more of and consistently lead more to talks of peace, gave me a clearer vision of hope and led me to a place of increased faith. It is those factors, that aided me in my decision on who I would like to see lead our country for the next four years. It is also those factors that make me feel more American…not just more American, but an American closer to the promise of God. The promise that He came not only to give me life, but life more abundantly. That is God’s promise, not the promise of Barack Obama or Mitt Romney.
Consider that when an individual comes from an environment and a time when everything around him seems hopeless, the only thing that person really has, is faith. During these times, that person’s vision of hope can become very distorted because of the physical environment in which he/ she is confined to. But the vision of faith itself, is spiritual. It cannot be held, it cannot be sold, it cannot be taken and it cannot be distorted. Faith is clear, it is concise, it delivers with precision and it is the very factor that allows that one candidate to see America for the country that it can become. I share that same faith to a greater extent with one candidate in this election. I feel that this particular candidate exudes the type of faith that through peace, America can repair its somewhat negative perception to the rest of the world, that Americans are people of humility and that we do not believe a world of war makes this land the home of the brave but that the God we serve is not a God of war but rather a God of peace and order. That’s what it means to be American. I share the notion with this one candidate, that America needs a President that believes all Americans should have the basic liberty of choosing how they want to serve God, based on the profession of their own faith and that your personal walk with the Creator should not be dictated by the overall belief of our nation’s leaders, but yet, your own convictions. Almost every universal faith- based religion that I know of, teaches us that God already chose us and that we as His children have the right to choose and confess Him. The reason for this is that by definition, faith itself, is one of the few true religions. Every day of my life, I get an overwhelming feeling of joy knowing that God has allowed me to exist in a country where I am free to choose Him without fear of a government that would severely punish or torture me for exercising that right. For me, that’s what it means to be an American.
The word “faith” or derivative thereof, is used a total of 528 times in the Bible (depending on which version you read), and many times in the teachings of other religions. However, it doesn’t matter what religious affiliation you are, when it concerns voting for faith in this election, you must allow yourself to make your decisions based on which candidate best represents you and what you believe. There has to be a conscious effort to not be sidetracked by the ever increasing popularity over the morality of secondary issues like abortion and gay marriage. That should not be your primary focus in this election but rather, your faith in the God we serve and which candidate best matches your level of devotion. We must realize that at the end of the day, regardless of who becomes the next President of the United States and the uncertainty of where this great nation will ultimately reside, relative to every other nation on planet Earth, your unwavering faith is the only thing that will allow you to see that God ALWAYS has been and will ALWAYS continue to be in control. And for me, that’s what it means to be an American.
WYLD STYLZ
