Anyone who struggles with big decisions, raise your hand.
Great — now that we’re all in unison, I’ll admit that I could easily be president of this club.
I spent most of my 20s absolutely paralyzed by decision-making. What car should I buy? Do I keep dating him? Why did he break up with me? Should I look for a new job? And then there was the completely counter-productive fretting I engaged in over decisions already made.
Over the decades, I’ve gotten better at personal decision-making. I’ve had to – I have children, and as a mom, you constantly must make decisions on their behalf. I’ve become much more decisive, more strategic, and more visionary.
But the decisions that weigh me down these days are the decisions made on our behalf by our so-called leaders.
In September 2023, I wrote about the Democrat clowns, GOP jokers, and all of us Americans stuck in the middle of their craziness. Six months later, I still feel stuck. I feel stuck between candidates – a former president who has 91 (albeit political hits) felony counts against him and the current president who can’t form a lucid sentence. And I feel stuck listening to Nikki Haley. Go home, girl.
I feel stuck in the midst of an illegal immigrant crisis that the Democrats won’t stop and the Republicans just whine about. I feel stuck as I shop at Walmart and see that my lotion costs $10 a bottle now. I feel stuck at the gas pump when I pay a fortune for fuel and think of how energy independent the United States could be.
If you haven’t gotten the idea already, I feel rather stuck. It’s easy to feel boxed in when you can’t personally fix an open border, or implement real fiscal changes on a national level, or convince the government that “drill baby drill” is imminently necessary.
What can we do when we feel trapped, with little ability to change things on a larger scale?
I recently discovered that 2 Chronicles 20 offers a clue. That chapter explains that King Jehoshaphat and the Israelites were alarmed when they learned that a vast army of enemies was coming to wage war against them. So, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, proclaiming a fast for all Judah.
Can you imagine how great it would be if the first thing a national leader did when faced with impending calamity was to pray to the one true God and ask people to pray as well? This leader would of course be met with scoffing and mocking from some, but as a Christian, I know I would heed the request.
Obviously, the people of Judah took Jehoshaphat’s request to heart because it says “They even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord.”
King Jehoshaphat stood in front of every one and sought the Lord’s help. He worshipped God, praising Him for ruling over all the nations. He declared that power and might belong to the Lord. He reminded God of His past protection over Israel. He also told God that even if calamity in judgment came over them, they would cry out to God. Jehoshaphat told the Lord what he’d heard – enemies were coming to drive them out of the land God had given them and he asked God to judge them. Then he said something we can choose to say when we feel stuck, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
I am not trying to be preachy, but if you are a Christian like me and you feel trapped by the bad decisions of global leaders, then it is time to inquire of the Lord. Our nation is in jeopardy. In fact, we now witness global instability daily. Lawlessness is rampant, good is called evil and evil is called good, our financial system is shaky, our borders have been breached. And what has God given America specifically? Two potential candidates for president who don’t appear to seek Him for wisdom nor humble themselves under His corrective hand.
This is an election year. It is our duty to pray for the candidates regardless of how we feel about them. We can seek the Lord and ask for revival across our land. We can beg for His mercy and restoration. We can repent of our own personal sins and ask Him to transform America into a nation that honors Him. I think we still have a window of time to do so, but I’m concerned the window is closing.
God answered Jehoshaphat’s prayer and the prayers of the people of Judah. In verse 30, it states that “Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.” Can you imagine? Oh, that we would repent of our sin, honor the Lord, and experience His gift of peace across our land.
When was the last time the news wasn’t a daily dumpster fire? We keep waiting for a government leader to right this sinking ship, but realistically, the best decision we can make right now is to repent, seek the Lord, worship Him, and cry out for help. If we freely admit we don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on Him, maybe He will graciously see fit to grant us rest on every side as well.
Kristin Landers is a substitute teacher and freelance writer. Landers’ previous work includes serving as Communications Director for the Alabama Policy Institute and working for Citizens Against a Legalized Lottery (CALL) to defeat legalized gambling in the state of Alabama.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
