The More you Know...

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged~ Deuteronomy 31:8

There is very little in this world I love more than the feeling I have the inside track on a topic or situation. One of my favorite personal axioms pretty much sums up my approach to knowledge and information:

The more you know… the more you know.

My passion for the inside track has led me to become a serious news junkie. I watch news networks compulsively and I have three news sites bookmarked on my computer. I read a news magazine before bed most nights and I am one of the few people left in America who still reads newspapers.

 Everyone in our family has been affected in some way by my love of news. The three older children watched so many news programs growing up that they could identify Dan Rather at roughly the same age they began recognizing characters from Sesame Street. I love election season the way some people love football season and my husband and kids have learned better than to try and make conversation with me during even a local election.   

My love of news and information is mostly a good thing. I can honestly say that I know at least a little about most issues. Staying up-to-date on world events has helped me understand that problems are frequently complex and solutions are seldom simple. I am very aware that every issue has two viewpoints and I can typically articulate both sides of most issues. Conversation is seldom a problem at dinner parties and very few world events take me by surprise.

 All the good stuff aside, having an information fixation definitely has a dark side. Knowledge may be power, but the writer of Ecclesiastes accurately observed that knowledge also brings grief and understanding is often accompanied by sorrow (Ecclesiastes 1:18). Grief and sorrow are a natural and even healthy reaction when one sees widespread outbreaks of…

Bad leadership

Addiction

Moral apathy

Senseless violence

Racial division

Corruption  

The natural response to bad news is to hide from it. To hunker down in our cozy little fortresses and imagine that our own little corner of the world is all there is. It doesn’t fix anything, but it beats wringing our hands and worrying ourselves sick about problems we cannot control.

Evading the problems in our society may feel right, but I am convinced it’s the wrong way to go. God did not create people to be ostriches. Hiding our heads in the sand when we come across a problem or situation that makes us feel uncomfortable or powerless is not a healthy reaction.  God intended his people to be instruments of transformation and reconciliation in the broken and hurting world we have been called to live in.

Becoming an instrument of change often feels like an impossible task. Most of us have a limited sphere of influence and will never have the opportunity to walk in halls of power.  Maximizing the influence we do have begins with remembering that God is still in control and he still has a plan for this world. Psalm 11:3-4 says,

When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?

The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. 
He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them~ Psalm 11:3-4

The foundations of the civilized world are being destroyed. One does not have to go far to see the effects of bad leadership, irrational government policy, and irresponsible personal choices. Psalm 11 is a powerful call to remember that nothing on this planet escapes God’s notice and that if we are still here, we have a purpose in this world.

 Finding our role in facilitating change begins with prayer. When prayer precedes action it is always more effective. Prayer is a good beginning but it is not enough. James 2:20 is a piercing reminder that faith without action is not really faith at all. I wonder what would change in our world if every Christian would commit to:

 Leading well

Volunteering in their community and church

 Befriend the hurting

Become informed and vote in the next election

Small acts of kindness every day

Honesty

Teaching a class at church

In those moments when I am tempted to despondency by the condition of our world, I have to remind myself that those feelings of grief and sadness are really evidence of God’s existence. We long for a better world because we were made for better things. Our spirits know instinctively that what we see is not what was intended. 

When that longing for a better world rises inside us, we need to know that those feelings are the calling to be the change we want to see. 

The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore~ Psalm 121:7-8