Which Way is Up?

Have you ever used a pair of binoculars and you couldn't get them to focus? You may have felt a little dizzy or frustrated after trying. 

If you are like me, as a Christian wading through the months and weeks of pre-election coverage, you may feel frustrated and out of balance. (I chose not to watch the debate last night.)

The media wants to be our binoculars, attempting to focus our attention on all the gory details of this election and its candidates. I have struggled throughout the entire process. 

This month God has been calling me into stillness, out from the widening circles of life, which often draw me away. He is instructing me to draw the boundary lines of my life circle smaller, closer to Him.

Lean back into Jesus and breathe.

Last night NBC News had a brief report at the end of their broadcast where they interviewed children about the election. I felt a shift in my spirit while watching, validating my struggle.

Confused and fearful students had been taught to respect each other, to respect authority, and to always tell the truth. Now they are watching the candidates for the next president of the United States break all those rules. 

They were also taught that bullying is definitely unacceptable. Here we are with a candidate who holds "bullying with words" in his daily repertoire. No wonder they are confused. So am I.

At least I was.

This morning as I drew near to the Lord and began to pray for our nation, my focus shifted to the Kingdom of God. I lay aside the binoculars of the media and the filters of Christian people I respect who say vote for platform. I picked up God's word, leaned back into his arms and felt a tiny bit of his heartbeat. 

Tears filled my eyes as a longing for the Gospel stirred in my heart. 

I want to see your glory cover our country Lord. I want our hearts to love you, to love each other, to be kind. I want us to return to values instilled in the very soil of this land, when our Founding Fathers dropped to their knees in worship and prayer, before making decisions they knew would affect nations.

I want to focus on your kingdom.

Matthew tells us that God takes care of the smallest sparrow, so we need not worry because he will take care of his children.

"But as many as received Him, to them he gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 1:12 KJV

This was the first Bible verse I memorized over 30 years ago when I made a decision to believe in Jesus Christ and surrender my life to Him.

Surrender has been the pathway to peace for me.

In God's Kingdom, the way up is down.

Help me to keep my focus on Your ways, Lord.

I don't know what I will do on November 8 but I do know how I intend to live every single day of the rest of my life.