Dominate the Earth not Each Other

Then God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground."  (Genesis 1:28  NLT)

Chaos is the new normal in America and around the world.  Mass media has a tendency to focus on the random acts of violence, the class wars, the race wars, terrorism and the sadness arising out of humanity's general state of discontent.  The need to have some sense of control is understandable but many of us have fallen into the trap of becoming too power hungry.  There is a growing desire to control and subdue certain groups of people seen as problematic and dangerous to our well-being.   

All the bad news drowns out the Good News.  God has blessed us with the power to overcome any adverse situation and rule over everything on the earth.  Americans are empowered to have dominion over poverty, hunger, hate, injustice, war, and even catastrophic natural disasters, to name a few things.  But we were never meant to lord over fellow human beings.       

Let me clarify my point by holding up a mirror to myself.  I firmly believe in the command to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  So, I am a strong advocate of always thinking about how one's action or inaction will affect the person, be it a loved one or stranger, up the street or across the nation.  This self-righteous state of mind allows me to judge others as being problematic i.e. heartless.  

My hunger for power births my vision of forcing my views upon every American by having only people with similar leanings in government positions.  Wrong!  The answer lies in creating a desire within each of us to dominate his or her own natural human tendency to be self-centered and/or selfish.  This type of self-domination/self-control will fill this nation and earth with the needed acts of kindness.  There is no place for trying to rule anyone with an iron rod.   

It is a grand dream to think that every human, let alone every American, could change her focus and redefine what is meant by world domination.  Yet, I must hope for a time when humans use their God-given dominion to attack bastions of bigotry so that no one is enticed into joining any type of terrorist group.  We could be fruitful and multiply acts of love by freely combining our resources to defeat the social and environmental forces that lead to famine, hunger, and chronic poverty instead of benefiting financially from these misfortunes.  
May we all focus on condemning the natural human drive to dominate others; just imagine our children's children being given a world with less wars.               

Love: A Treasure and Good Inheritance

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.  (Matthew 6: 19-20 NLT)


No matter what one believes about what happens after death everyone acknowledges that there is not one possession any person can take with her or him.  All power or influence acquired while wheeling and dealing dies along with our bodies.  There will be no more looking for the next pleasurable thing to do.  Life is an empty thing if this is all we store up during our time on the earth.  You do not leave behind a good inheritance if only your family, friends, and others like you benefit from the wealth (money, influence, safe spaces) you have amassed.    

Love is the greatest treasure to be found in heaven and on earth.  It is an unstoppable force, flowing freely out of the heart and washing over ANYONE in its beautiful wake.  It cannot be destroyed by hate or cruelty.  Love feeds upon itself and grows stronger in the face of opposition.  It is timeless and its fruits do not die, even if the selfless giver has turned to dust a long time ago.  This is the type of power every patriotic American should want to store up and leave for the generations to come.

Every American must decide what is to be treasured.  Life, liberty, and justice for all versus survival of the fittest, the wealthiest, the most influential, the majority...  You get my point.  

Make it a Family Affair

"Men chained together are brothers."  (Roots)

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines family as “a group of people united by certain convictions”.  A majority of us take pride in putting our hand to our hearts and proclaiming our loyalty to the UNITED States of America.  We accept the shared responsibility of fighting to maintain the integrity of this nation, fully convinced our republic is worth protecting.  That would make us family, inextricably linked as brothers in arms.  No one in her right mind would stand by watching loved ones starve, be molested, wallow in ignorance, be unjustly hated, wither in the midst of plenty, be slaughtered one by one…  The list of horrific crimes against humanity is obscenely long but you get the point. 
        
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. (1 John 2:9 NIV)  

A true patriot would not condemn America to darkness.  The first step is to seek The Lord by reading his Word.  Emulate his tender compassion for all of humankind.  See our extended family, with new eyes, to your left and your right.  May the glorious revolution arising out of this radical change of attitude be televised. 

Be United

..."The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!  (Genesis 11:6)


This nation seems be The United States of America in name only.  The rich diversity found in this country should be our strength not our downfall.  A melting pot is exactly what we need.  Everyone can throw in an opinion, a unique point of view, or an ingenious idea about how to better conduct the affairs of this country.  We can agree to disagree and still make sure our words convey a willingness to maintain an environment of mutual respect.  Then, we would be using a common language which is understood by and pleasant to all.  Nothing is impossible when a united, motivated, and imaginative group of people work together to grow a nation.     

True American Patriot

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a patriot as "a person who loves and strongly supports or fights for his or her country."  

Do you love this country enough to take a leap faith?  Believe there is a God.

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. (Romans 1:20 NLT)

Are you willing to fight back unbelief and know God is the answer to all that ails this nation?  Be a true patriot and pray to God about how each one of us can help every woman, man, and child living in America find healing. 

Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.  (Psalm 50:15)

There would be an outpouring of love, kindness, justice, and honor.  Our country would be at peace.  We would be living proof of God’s awesome power and grace.