Who you gonna call God or government?

Who you gonna call, God or government? by lcl

When you are in need, who comes to your mind for help?

Friends, family, God or government. It is really a simple question, but today it can be confusing at times. Do we first pray to God, go to a church for help or pick up the phone and call a government agent? When one asks for a monthly check, do they thank God or eventually come to the belief that they are entitled? Entitled, by whom and for what reason? Does a monthly check lift spirits to honor God or the local government representative? These are a lot of questions. Let’s consider God’s point of view to help our thought process.

Mat_22:37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.

Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.

Mat 22:39 And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Luk 10:33 But a certain traveling Samaritan came upon him, and seeing him, he was filled with pity.

Luk 10:34 And coming near, he bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine, and set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

1Ti_5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.

The common point in all of these examples is that each individual is accountable to help those that are near him. The individual is not called to put anyone else in charge of helping the people, but is expected to care enough for those close to them that they personally respond to provide what is needed. I think God wants this for three reasons:

First, He desires to teach us to be compassionate just as God is compassionate to us. He wants us to be examples of love so that others will know we are different from the world and are following the example set by Jesus to care for the needs of those He met. Jesus truly, felt for people, not out of obligation, but because He had a sensitive and tender nature, just as God the Father does. We are told that God only gives good gifts (or gifts that are good for us). He is patient and kind to His creation because that is who He is. Thank God for that! God dislikes lies and hate as they are forms of sin. But, God is Holy and part of being perfect is a nature for being good in all ways. So, He desires that we also follow His example that He might also receive glory for leading us in good paths. That was the second reason. Not only is the receiver of the help blessed, but the giver is also blessed because God knows our actions and rewards us for good deeds.

God is also helped in that He receives glory for the good actions He encourages.

This does not always happen when government is involved.

Government tends to want a benefit for whatever it is involved in. Leaders want to be appreciated and gain from their actions. They seldom give credit to God. The people receiving help also tend to elevate the leaders helping them, almost as though the leaders are a type of god. God seldom gets the glory for the events. Do we praise god for taxes? Not likely, though we should be thankful that we have the ability to pay them. People being helped continuously by government also tend to rationalize that they are entitled to receive gifts without working for them. As a result, their pride and ability is damaged. God wants people to be strong and capable in order that they will be examples of His strength and goodness. But, when there are needs, God desires us to draw closer to Him in prayer that we might receive the grace to be called overcomers. God uses satans’s adversity to draw us to Him so He can be our provider. He also uses adversity to test us and bring us into a stronger faith each time he proves to be faithful to us.

The next closest thing to giving glory to God is when we give help through the church as an institution created by God. Here God does receive some glory, but the individuals that make up the church dim from view in the background. This secrecy is not necessarily a bad thing.

Mat_6:3 But when you do merciful deeds, do not let your left hand know what your right hand does,

Church leaders also receive some glory. Just ask the pope or any main church leader. Now, for the third reason.

God has faith in His creation that we will make good choices in our decisions. As a result, God also can bless us with good things. His good desires for mankind are so strong that He even allowed Christ to be sacrificed to give us a gift that is everlasting and which we could not provide for ourselves. The gift of salvation that allows us to be in the presence of a holy God. Without Christ’s covering of glory, I do not believe that we could exist in God’s presence. No evil can even approach the perfect Holy God for God will not allow himself to be tempted. This is who He is and is His desire for His creation. God wants to bless you and make you strong and capable, rejoicing and giving Him thanks.