I Pledge Allegiance, Again

I am going to say up front that many things I am posting here are unpopular.
My apologies in advance.

Misguided Passions.

We all tend to get a little off track now and then.

I often get caught up in things that get me off of my true focus.  And often, if not most of the time, the things that distract me are good things.  Definitely not sin.
Or what I categorize as sin.

I've spent periods of time in my adult life consumed with church ministry, church work, service work, school activities, volunteering, and 'good deeds.'  They make me feel good.  Make me feel like I've contributed some element of good to the world around me.  And I am not in any way criticizing these things.  I've been in need from the Caring Cooks ministry at my church.  I've been in need from the unselfish souls who've donated time, manual labor, and funds to assist me in getting back on my feet post-divorce.  These are good things.  Needed things.  Wonderful things.

But, sometimes, distracting things.

I have spent periods of time consumed with the political landscape around me.  I know others who campaign for this candidate or that who best represents their personal values for the world around them.  We want our children to grow up in a world that most meets our ideals of what the world should look like.  And we get involved in the political dialogue around us because we believe in it.  We see the value in it.  We see the importance it has for the world in which our children will become adults.  We want the best for our children and our nation.  These are good things.  Needed things.

And, again, oftentimes, distracting things.

Here's what I mean:

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." ~Mt. 6:33-34

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."~James 1:27

I read nothing in these verses about service work or politics.

Please, hear me out.

To live in this world, we are called as Christians to make an impact on the world around us.  And to stand out.  Be non-conformists.

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." ~Rom 12:2

But - too often we get too caught up in the seemingly good things in the world around us, and we lose sight of what we are called to be and to do:

Be Jesus.
To a Lost and Dying World.

I'll try to make clearer some points I've alluded to several times before.
My personal opinion is that there is nothing wrong with political activism.
But - when we substitute that for our walk with and for the Savior, 
We are misguided.

That is a problem I see in our country right now.
We are more passionate about the Flag than we are about our Savior.
We are more passionate about votes than we are about Jehovah's will.
We are more passionate about gun laws, marriage rights, military funerals, women's rights, health care reform, and conservatism versus liberality than we are about

Lost. Souls.

When the Lord returns, He is not going to ask whether or not you voted for homosexual couples having the right to marry.  He is not going to ask you if you were Pro-Life or Pro-Choice.  He is not going to ask which end of the Health Care Debate you stood.

Really.  He's not.

We worship Old Glory with emotion and conviction 
And neglect the passion of the Cross.

We sing "God Bless the USA" with tears streaming down our faces yet sing "My Jesus I Love Thee" with stoicism. 

There's something wrong with this picture.
This is something that has plagued me for a couple of years now.
Our emotion and passion for our Nationalism has eclipsed our emotion for the Redeemer of our Souls.

Please, again, do not misunderstand.
I love this country.  
I thank God for the gift of its heritage and freedom in my life.

But, Patriotism does not equal Christianity.
And somehow, in our present culture, the two have become (in some minds, whether we realize it or not) interchangeable.  Satan has succeeded in getting our focus off of what God has truly called us to do by getting our hearts and minds attentive to something we deem as "good".
Remember: 

"Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." ~Phil. 3:20

So, in reference once again (and hopefully for the last time) to last week, let me clear up some possible misunderstandings:

I applaud individuals standing up for their beliefs.
I applaud individuals supporting those courageous people.
I am saddened at the notion that someone standing up for what they believe is being interpreted as hate.  

However, I do not applaud the idea, the mentality, that as a Christian, my supporting of another's political statement means that I have stood up for the cause of Christ.  Standing up for your political stance is not the same thing as saving souls.

Last week became a rant of us against them in the war of Christian politics in this country and I, for one, was sick to my stomach because of it.  And I found myself succumbing to the negativity it generated as I judged in my heart most of those on both sides.
For that, I humbly apologize.

Yes, sin is sin.
Don't believe me: read this commentary.  It was one of the most well-written statements about last week's chaos that I had read:

I am not eliminated from the list in I Corinthians 6:-9-11.

Sin is sin.  No doubt about it.  And I do not fall into the mindset of "Who am I to judge?"
But, I do fall in the line of thinking that says we need to stop calling out 'bigger' sins than others and declaring ourselves righteous because we supported a political stance.

Christians.  Believers.  Followers.
It's time to wake.up.

There is a lost and dying world all around us.
And we are not saving souls with our votes.
We cannot legislate morality.
We are not saving souls with our campaigns and Facebook wars and blogs.
(speaking to myself here, dear ones).

I do not have the answers.  I don't know how to change the  landscape of this world around us.  All I know is this:
We save souls through our Actions.

Our Actions of 
Being Jesus.