Looking for Political Solutions to Spiritual Problems
My prayer from Father’s Day, June 21st, 2020
The day I wrote this, I remember laying on the couch in our living room and being an emotional wreck. Completely physically and emotionally exhausted. I didn’t have my journal on me, so I pulled out my phone, opened the Notes app, and started to type. I then printed the prayer from my phone and taped it in my prayer journal.
Not only was I continuing to feel the pressure and still struggling in the business, but I was feeling the weight of the world, too (though I have to admit that I put on a good face to the outside world during this time). A few weeks prior to writing this prayer, we had seen an eruption across America from the death of George Floyd. Riots ensued. Covid took a back seat for the first time since the pandemic started. Political parties had never been further apart. Still today, we continue to look to political solutions for spiritual problems.
Here’s my prayer from Father’s Day 2020…
This prayer really speaks for itself, so not much context is needed, but I’ll bullet point a couple of things:
Admittedly, one of the things I’ve been working on is making time to be in God’s word and to pray ALL the time, not just when I’m in need or hurting.
When social media was born, I loved it. I built business on it. I was all about content creation, connecting with customers, and delivering customer service in a unique way. Today, I’m disappointed in what social media has become… a place of filth, division, and fake lives.
Dads (and moms too)… we are way too hard on ourselves. I know that all of us have felt like a bad parent at some point. Give yourself grace. You’re doing great. So am I.
If you own a business and you’re stuck on a hamster wheel, ask God to change something. (I’m excited to show you what God did in our business in future posts!) I prayed for clarity over and over again and God soon delivered me a fresh set of lenses to look through. My vision was made new.
Debt sucks. Proverbs 22:7 “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” Once I’m out of debt (house and all), I’ll never go back in debt. I don’t care what the world and its “financial advisors” say or think.
Comparison is the thief of joy. (Today, I’ve learned to be content with what I have and I’ve realized that it’s more than most. I’m very grateful.) It’s way too easy to look at others’ success and wonder, “Why haven’t I made it yet? I work so hard. Etc..” There are two big things I’ve learned here:
First, you have to define what success is for you. It’s different for everybody. For me, it’s 100% COMPLETE FREEDOM. Financial freedom. Time freedom. It’s been a journey, but we are on our way.
Second, the MAJORITY of people are putting up a HUGE FRONT. They can’t afford the stuff they are buying and they are doing it to try and impress people. My wife and I have a 2022 Honda CR-V (her car) and I have a 2006 Honda Civic (my car). Not fancy, but we own both. Paid CASH for her car last year. Most people rolling around in fancy cars have a fancy car payment with it, too.
This past week, my heart was broken. 6 people lost their lives in a school shooting in Nashville, TN.
Instantly, both political parties dove into their narratives. It just shows that nothing in the world has changed in the past three years. The more I sit here and reflect on it, the more I see that not much has changed in the world the past 2,000 years… People grabbed on and held onto political narratives then, too. We crucified a sinless man simply because we weren’t willing to hear and accept the truth.
The one we sacrificed is the truth. There will never be political solutions to spiritual problems. There is only one solution: Jesus.
I pray you’ll reflect on that this week.
Thanks for reading. Have a blessed week and a Happy Easter.
Collin
Matthew 28
Jesus Has Risen
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”