SENTINEL WATCH November 24, 2003 Issue

A government you can love

By Tad Weber

The words weren't new to me, but hearing them read recently at a church service, I really took them in and let them change me: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty" (I Tim. 2:1, 2).

This Bible passage went straight to my heart and defined exactly the course of action I needed to take. I realized I needed to change the way I'd been thinking about government leaders and their actions. I needed to reach out and love the people in positions of power, regardless of their political affiliation, or even what I thought about their ability to govern. I needed to support them by knowing that it is God who governs them, because God governs the whole world.

This was a 180-degree change for me. Criticism of political figures had been growing in my thought for some time, and I found myself getting angry, even to the point of tears, when discussing certain national leaders with friends and co-workers. The many political changes in my own country, the United States—not to mention the rest of the world—had been getting me stirred up. I had been so eager to talk about present-day issues that one day I found myself just venting to a friend. Soon I was more than venting—I was quite angry and quickly found myself in tears. I felt seriously afraid and scared for the world. But reaching that level of anger made me realize that something was wrong in the way I was thinking. And I felt I had to correct it right away.