Articles
The Solution to This World's Problems
There’s an old story about a country church whose building was often seen with cobwebs up in the corners. The members would let it slide for a while, but then someone would inevitably complain and say, “Someone needs to get rid of those cobwebs!” And someone would. One of the members would dutifully pull out a broom and go around cleaning the corners of cobwebs, only to see them return within days. The cycle would begin again.
After many weeks of seeing the cobwebs and hearing the complaints, along with the seeming futility of it all, one of the young boys finally said to the man who swept the cobwebs, “Why don’t you just get rid of the spiders, instead?” It took a young boy to see they were not solving anything by sweeping away the cobwebs, and they would always return as long as the spiders were in the building. The usual ‘solution’ to the problem did not really solve the problem!
I am afraid, as a society, we are sweeping the cobwebs when it comes to the numerous problems in this country; offering up and instituting ‘solutions’ that do not solve the problem, but merely give a superficial appearance of improvement that does not last because the root cause is left unaddressed. I am not surprised when those of the world and who have no knowledge of God and His ways choose these ‘solutions,’ but am frankly baffled and extremely disappointed that so many who profess to be believers in God and Jesus Christ choose those same ‘solutions’ to this world’s problems. Have we lost faith in God’s ways, to the point we seek answers in human reasoning, human philosophies, human wisdom, and human schemes? Surely, we can do better!
Maybe we have forgotten what Paul reminded the Corinthians: “For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.’ Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” (1 Cor. 1:19, 20); and, “the foolishness of God is wiser than men” (1 Cor. 1:25). While this was speaking particularly about the plan of salvation that would be fulfilled in the death of Christ, the principle rings true across the board, on any subject: God’s wisdom far exceeds that of any man — and the combined knowledge of all men of all time, for that matter!
Job correctly noted, regarding God, “With Him are wisdom and strength, He has counsel and understanding” (Job 12:13). The psalmist also reminds us, “His understanding is infinite” (Psa. 147:5). And lest we think the next President, or politician at any level of government, is going to make this country better by his or her policies, power, and influence, we should remember what Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar, before explaining his dream, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Dan. 2:20, 21).
Nebuchadnezzar did not take this to heart, for Daniel would remind him later, in explaining another of his dreams, “That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men” (Dan. 4:17). Just remember when you prepare to vote for someone, they are not the answer to this world’s problems, nor will it be found in any scheme they devise, plans they make, or laws they enact. The solutions to this world’s problems will not come from any man!
I believe it was C.S. Lewis who wrote about the contrasts between the worldly-focused life and the heavenly-focused, when he said [paraphrasing] that if there is no such thing as life after death, then earthly governments are of far more importance than any individual; but if there is an afterlife, then the soul of every man is infinitely more important than any earthly government. If we profess to be believers in God and Christ, then we know which is true; do our lives reflect this belief, or have politics become all-consuming?
Political polls regularly show that society has an ever-changing opinion about which issue is, for this political season, the most pressing. Sometimes it is unemployment; sometimes it is inflation; sometimes it is crime; sometimes it is one Constitutional right or another. Rarely do we see moral decline as one of the top issues, and never as the primary issue. No surprise, for the vast majority of citizens of this country [and every country] are worldly-minded, and think little about how society is affected by morality, or more correctly stated, immorality. It is very likely that they do not want to hear, or see implemented, the actual solution to those moral and spiritual failures, either.
But we who claim to be believers should, first of all, be focused “on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2), and should recognize that this world’s problems most often are rooted in spiritual and moral failings. I believe we would be hard-pressed to think of any problem that is not somehow rooted in a spiritual and/or moral failure. Yet, we keep trying to solve the problems with human reasoning and worldly-based answers. We will have about as much success in that as trying to hold back floodwaters by singing the national anthem!
When sin entered into this world, God did not send a politician to defeat its power and free us from its enslavement; He sent His Son! He did not conceive, before time began, a political plan that would defeat sin’s power, or conceive of a particular type of government that would either be the answer to all problems or one that would even prevent such problems from ever occurring. No, God established before time began — even before man was created — that Christ would be the Savior of those who believe in Him (2 Tim. 1:9-10; 1 Pet. 1:18-21). That being true, shouldn’t we be trying to proclaim the answer to the world, and be trying to convince them to implement God’s plan and solution [beginning with self], rather than promoting some politician, a certain political party, a certain type of government, or some other worldly-based ‘solution’ that will never solve anything?
Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with being involved or even interested in politics or what is happening in our own government [of any level]. But when we turn our attention to those things, let us remember, as Jesus said, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matt. 22:21). As long as we remember who is most important [God, not ‘Caesar’], then it is likely we will have our priority straight. It is when we allow the politics and the arguments and promotions of worldly-based and worldly-focused pundits to become our main focus that we will once again fall into the old habits of looking more like the world than followers of Christ and believers in God. Maybe now would be a good time to re-evaluate our priority and make an honest self-examination as to which is more important: Telling others of your political view, or telling others about Jesus Christ and Him crucified?
Let us acknowledge the truth that no politician will save this country from anything; no law will be written that will eliminate the problems that are rooted in our sin and rebellion against God and His ways; and no form of government will ensure our entrance into heaven.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). He is the solution! — Steven Harper
