The Really Sad Statistic~ Part One

What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? ~ Isaiah 10:3 NIV

I am a person who likes and is swayed by studies and statistics. In my mind, facts and figures are very authoritative and credible. If someone wants to keep me focused all they have to do is throw the word ‘percent’ in after another word and they are sure to have my undivided attention.

My kids figured all this out fairly early in life. They have been known to insert some official sounding statistics and studies into any debate or discussion where they are attempting to convince me of a course of action. My son was especially fond of this ploy.

Anytime he wanted to do something or go somewhere that he knew I would be skeptical of he would bring up a study or statistic that would “prove” the validity of his case. When the argument was sound or the statistic legitimate I could be persuaded about eighty percent of the time, but sadly they were rarely either. 

While it’s true that a smooth-sounding statistic may sway me, I also have some trust issues where such things are concerned. So I usually fact-check any statistic that sounds sketchy or fabricated. Recently I came across a statistic that sounded so insanely fictional that I verified it almost immediately. The statistic in question stated that the number of Americans receiving SNAP benefits (food stamps) has increased seventy percent since 2008.

Fact checking did indeed confirm the legitimacy of the statistic and revealed an even more shocking number. According to the USDA, the number of food stamp recipients has increased a whopping 93.3 percent since 2001.

I was disquieted by this information, but unsure why. As a Christian I truly loathe the notion of anyone going hungry, and I’m all for any plan that helps poor people climb out of poverty.  So I wondered: why does this statistic bother me so much?

 Admittedly, the political implications of this statistic trouble me. Legislators are (perhaps) unintentionally creating a powerful voting bloc of individuals who have a vested interest in electing men and women who continue to dole out an ever-increasing amount of public aid. This voting bloc is rapidly becoming large enough to shape political and social policy. Without term limits, some politicians may be tempted to keep the payments rolling if it allows them keep their jobs.

Disturbing as the political implications are, they are not the biggest concern in this situation. The real issue for Christians is the widespread spiritual repercussions of long-term, widespread dependence on welfare programs.

Contrary to common belief, God is not mean. He loves all people, including poor people. Scripture demonstrates that God is deeply concerned for the poor and needy (Deuteronomy 24:14-16, Exodus 23:6, Exodus 23:1, Leviticus 19:10, Psalm 12:5). God wants His concern for the underprivileged to be the concern of His people (Deuteronomy 15:7, Psalm 112:9, Proverbs 14:31, Acts 10:4, Acts 24:17). 

 God wants people to be cared for and He wants it done in such a way that dignity is preserved and people are given a sense of purpose. Connecting assistance and help to work and responsibility does this. Nowhere in Scripture is financial support given to anyone without requiring them to work or be accountable to someone for their choices (1^st Timothy 5:3-16, 1^st Thessalonians 3:10, Ephesians 4:28).

 The design of government programs are harmful to human dignity and responsibility because…

Government programs refuse to make behavioral judgments~

I do not believe that there is any behavior, no matter how sinful, that cannot be forgiven. But let’s be real: Some behaviors and choices are superior to others. Bad behaviors are bad because they eventually enslave people in unhealthy patterns. It’s better to not to be addicted to drugs or alcohol. It’s better to be educated than ignorant, and it’s better if one marries and raises a family rather than produce a large number of fatherless children. When assistance is given without accountability or moral instruction, responsibility dies a violent death and people become enslaved to harmful behaviors and to a system that cares nothing about their future. In order for assistance to help rather than hurt, there has to be acknowledgement that some behaviors are inherently dangerous and harmful. 

Welfare programs do nothing to build or strengthen families~

God intended family to be the foundation of society. Strong, healthy families equal a strong, healthy society. God’s plan is for parents to work together as a team using their combined resources and abilities to provide financial, emotional, spiritual, and educational support to their children. When a parent of either sex is left to parent alone their attention and resources are divided and the quality of parenting suffers dramatically.  Poorly parented children are quite likely to become a drain on society and perpetuate the cycle of poor parenting and societal dysfunction. Welfare programs encourage single parenting by providing financial assistance to single mothers only and eliminating or cutting assistance when a father is present in the home. This provides a sick incentive for women to parent alone and further perpetuates the breakdown of the family.     

Government programs rarely change circumstances ~

The goal of aid programs should be a positive change of circumstances for the person receiving assistance. In the current system, you rarely see healthy change occur. This is due to a lack of pressure placed on people seeking help. People seeking financial assistance really need someone to give them support as they work to acquire the tools that will empower them to become productive, self-sufficient members of society. Under the current system, achieving independence is a choice, not an obligation. To make matters worse, many on welfare find that under the current system they are penalized rather than rewarded for making good choices.  

Sadly, government aid programs do not require work. They tear down family structures and fail to promote self-control and personal responsibility. As more people look to the government as their provider rather than God or family we see an increasing loss of human dignity and social chaos. As sexual ethics have loosened, single parenting has become an accepted standard and the result, sadly, has been the creation of a permanent underclass. As government has attempted to take on the role of provider to the people it has failed to provide the accountability required for a healthy society to flourish.

 That is where we come in. Change is possible, but it will not come from government intervention. Societal transformation will be born out of individual families and churches living out the principles given in Scripture. I know that some will feel my case is hardhearted but before you judge me too harshly tune in next week and I will share some strategies we can apply on big and small scales to make a difference and turn the tide.  

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith~ Galatians 6:10

Danger Zones

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us~ Hebrews 12:1 NIV

I like to run, but I don’t run marathons or other races—mainly because they all take place outside. I want to love running in the open air. It feels much more athletic, more real than training in the gym, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. On the rare occasions I have run outside I usually make it to the two-mile mark before the heat or the cold starts to irritate me and my feet begin to ache from pounding against the pavement.  

The only thing that distracts me from my achy feet and the weather is fantasies about air conditioning and water bottles. In the middle of more than one run I have strongly considered ringing a random doorbell and asking a stranger if I could use their phone so I could call my husband and beg him to come pick me up.

Although I’m too into comfort to run competitively, I have family and friends that run marathons. I find myself intrigued by their experiences. Not intrigued enough to actually go outside in the hot sun and participate, mind you, but intrigued nonetheless.

Nearly every person I have talked to who runs competitively reports a similar experience. At some point in every race they get to a place where quitting feels like the rational thing to do.

 For some, the yearning to quit comes at a foreseeable place. For my sister, it’s the third mile that always tempts her to throw in the towel. She tells me that if she can make it to the fourth she knows she will finish. For others the triggers are less predictable; it can be a lack of training before the race, weather conditions, fatigue, an injury or even a negative mindset that takes root during the race.

In Corinthians 9:24 the Apostle Paul compares the Christian experience to running a marathon. The comparison is apt.  Just as most runners are tempted to give up in the heat of the race, nearly every Christian is tempted to call it quits at some point in their Christian journey. The causes are a little easier to pinpoint with Christians than with runners. They tend to center around one of three things.  

Failure~

Everybody fails at some point in his or her existence. It’s a fact of life. It’s a crappy fact, but a fact nonetheless. All failure has the potential to derail us from the faith permently. Personal moral failure often leads to embarrassment and self-loathing that can push us away from the God who longs to restore us. Professional, parental, academic, or marital failure can rock us spiritually—particularly if we feel that God called us into the situation where the failure occurred. Some of the most toxic failure is the failure outside of our control. The spouse who refuses to make an effort, the parent who leaves, the business partner who cheats us, or the trusted mentor who fails us can lead to a bitter spirit and resentment towards the God who refused to control the people who hurt us. The emotions born out of failure—our own or that of others—create the perfect storm that makes putting some distance between us and God seem like the rational thing to do.       

Discouragement~

It’s a seriously gloomy time to be a Christ-follower. Our planet is rapidly going to hell before our eyes. Christians are routinely disparaged and persecution is growing. Behaviors and attitudes that were once considered objectionable have become mainstream. The rapid cultural shift has caused family structures to collapse, and folks are more closed to the message of Jesus than ever before. This cultural reality, combined with the garden-variety irritations and disappointments that every person on earth has to deal with on a daily basis, has produced the ideal environment for discouragement to gain a foothold in the lives of God’s people. Discouragement and disappointment are the silent assassins of faith. As disappointments mount in our lives, discouragement takes root and eats away at our desire to obey God whole-heartedly. Unchecked discouragement destroys our trust in God, often without our awareness. By the time we recognize the damage, we might be halfway out the door.

Success~

Success is the problem we all long to have, but success comes with its own set of issues. The perils of success are far subtler than the dangers of discouragement or failure. The greatest temptation that comes with success is the temptation to forget God. Successful people rarely curse God, as discouraged or angry people are disposed to do. They may even give Him a passing nod of gratitude from time to time. A passing nod is a weak substitute for the worship God is worthy of. Success can lead to pride and a sense of self-sufficiency that evaporates our desire to seek God for wisdom and direction. If we are not seeking God, we are not really following Him. The writer of Proverbs comprehended the risks of both success and failure when he penned the prayer of Proverbs 30:7-9….

Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; and give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

The situations that threaten to keep us from going the distance vary from person to person, but the answers are the same for all of us. The key to staying the course is connection with God. When we are connected to God, we see trials as an opportunity to see God’s will worked out in our lives. Failure becomes a starting point for future victories. When we don’t connect with God on daily basis, the same experiences become facilitators of our spiritual ruin.

Prayer is key to connection that empowers us to go the distance. An experienced runner will tell you that discipline is the key to success in competition, and a seasoned Christian will tell you that discipline is the key to developing the kind of prayer life that allows us to go the distance.

We cannot control what enters our lives, but through the power of prayer we can employ God’s grace and control how we respond to it.

Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance~ Psalm 32:6-7 NIV