Alissa’s deep thoughts…On Politics
“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:22
Many of my friends and supporters of Arise have asked me recently of my thoughts on the comments President Trump made about “sh*thole countries.”
First of all before anything I do have to give some major credit to the Zambia tourism society for the ad they posted about the most recent comments…
For those of you who are unaware, talking about politics is not the greatest idea if you are running a non-profit. We all know how this plays out, I can offend one side or the other real quickly and that really isn’t the best idea when you exist based solely on generous donors from all political realms. Let’s be honest I can offend others without even discussing politics! Oh how the Lord humbles me in that.
But let me tell you how I choose to respond. And hopefully I won’t offend you.
Let’s look at the bigger picture and not just focus on what happened most recently. By the time this blog post is published something else offensive will have probably been said or done. What I have concluded these past few years, the bottom line about most of the world we live in is that I don’t have time to care or focus on it. I don’t have time to think about what others are saying when it turns negative or hurts others. I don’t have time to try to figure out what is truth in the media or what source the information came from. It takes away my precious time, energy, and emotions. I am on a mission to serve the Lord and I try to have that focus while I exist on this earth. And all of the other stuff, is just interference that Satan has designed. And there is more interference today on this earth than ever. It has turned individuals into angry beings who are distracted and not focused on serving the Lord. Satan is winning my friends.
As I write this blog post I am sitting in Dubai on a 21 hour layover traveling home from Zambia. I have our jet lagged six month old next to me and am praying she falls asleep for just a bit before we have to wake her up at midnight for another flight. I can hear the call to prayer for the Muslim population and it makes me sad. There is an arrow on the bedside table in our hotel room pointing to the direction of Mecca. I feel for the population here, and what they believe. It makes me realize we have alot of work to do in a short time.
What is happening of course makes me sad and want to speak out. But what I refuse to do is “harbor” in it. I refuse to spread more bad comments that flood my social media feeds daily. I don’t have time to get angry about what others say or if they have different opinions than me. I am trying to fight cholera in Zambia. I am trying to love others. I am trying to get some sleep every once in a while while caring for a baby! I have to stay focused on only Him.
What if, instead of posting about how terrible these comments are we took action and helped spread the word of the gospel more? What if instead of spreading more hate in words towards politicians, actors and actresses etc. we actually take action in a way Jesus would? What if every time you saw words or actions of hate you took positive action for the Kingdom instead of making a public statement? (the funny thing is too, we are all kinda numb to individuals public statements these days) In this case, sponsor a child that lives in one of these countries. Through us or someone else! Make a one time donation to non-profits that are making a difference. Or go meet someone from one of these countries and love on them to show them that most of America does not think this way. Especially Christians. What would that movement look like?? Jesus took action when he was on earth. He spread the word of the Lord by INTERACTING and loving on others. Not making facebook posts. His actions were what others saw.
Can you imagine how much positive input you would have if every time there was something negative that you saw or heard you did one act of kindness in response? Just think about when you read a post or article that was negative you counteracted by simple actions that show the Lord’s love. Sadly, you would need to do MANY great acts of love and kindness daily.
In 2018 that is my goal. When I see terrible headlines that make me sad or frustrated I hope to respond by acting. Maybe I will donate to charities that I believe are fighting against the exact negative words or actions I see. Maybe it will be a simple text to someone I know reminding them of the Lord’s love if they are going through a hard time. Possibly I will take some time to pray for someone or the individuals being attacked. Or maybe I will pay for the person’s coffee behind me in Starbucks drive thru. Because I am there quite a bit, did I mention I have a 6 month old?! (and can a “veteran” mom please tell me at what age does the baby stop screaming when you have to stop the car, because the drive thru is a bit stressful right now.) And maybe we can start to turn the negative tide towards the positive, just a bit.
Together I believe God will use our positive acts to have much more of an impact than the negative we hear and see. God needs us more than ever! Just look around! Let’s start to attack Satan back.
I am not going to think of the perfect facebook post to write in responses to what I hear this year, I am going to think of the ACTS of good and kindness I can do. Join in the challenge with me. Because together we can accomplish so much more. Together we can change the facebook feeds. I am going to tame my tongue and act before I speak. The cool thing is that God will use it in OUR lives too. Take the challenge and just wait and see. Strive to get the hate out of your mind in 2018, and replace it with Christ’s love and pursuing others. Work on staying focused for Him.