God's Servants

"This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing." Romans 13:6

I wonder if all those newly elected officials realize that that are actually God's servants? I love this verse because it is so basic and so simple. And yet, on the morn after a huge election for our country, I wonder if all these men (and women? Were there women who won any races?) realize the task that is before them. I suspect that God is going to show up in the lives of each and every one of these people and open their eyes. It's going to be very exciting here in our great nation! It is our job, as The Church, to remember these officials in our prayers each and every day. No government official has an easy job- not even the town mayor, and we need to remember that and pray for them often.

Yet there is more in this verse. It tells us right in the Bible to pay our taxes- but why? We pay taxes to pay for those public servants. Those government officials who give up normal life and a normal job should be compensated for their time- that's for sure. But look at what this verse doesn't say. It doesn't say to pay taxes to that the hungry may be fed and the sick may be treated. That is where the church as a whole has fallen down, because those programs, that type of compassion is not supposed to be a government job. It's the job of the church. It's the church who is supposed to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. It's the church's job to see that the sick receive care and that the elderly are respected and cared for to the end of their days.

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' " Matthew 25:35-40

The church fell down on the job, and government stepped in to keep it's people from hurting and starving. The role of compassion should not be with the government- it should be the church as a whole. A hungry, homeless person should be able to walk into any church and be welcomed with joy- given clothing, a meal, a place to sleep-not directed to the nearest government office.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35

While I can't change an entire church structure, I can change the way I see things with my own eye. People who get assistance from the government truly do need it. Otherwise, why would they go through the humiliating process of filling out forms and being questioned and examined, and all that. But as a follower of Christ, when I see someone who is getting government assistance, maybe I can do a little more to help them out in my own way. I guess my thought has been, "hey if they're getting food stamps to pay for groceries, then they don't need my groceries." And that is the wrong mentality to have.

It's interesting where this blog posting is going today. One of my dreams, my visions for my life has been to help those who need it. That's why I continue blogging, and do the recipes in the local newspaper. It breaks my heart to see a mother, with kids in tow, swiping the food stamp card at the grocery store when her cart is loaded with frozen pizzas, macaroni and cheese, soda, and frozen pot pies. I know the amount available per person for food stamps, and it doesn't go very far. But my goal is to help those people stretch that food stamp dollar. If that mom only knew that a pot of my hearty bean soup fed and nourished for two meals for about $6.00, she may think twice about the poor nutrition she is giving her family. Sure, not every child likes beans right off the bat, but there are ways around that. I've often thought about how such a "program" would work. How do you teach someone to cook wholesome, nutritious food for less money than they would think? How do you tell someone that they're feeding their precious children junk...?

Someday, when the time is right, the pieces and the ideas will fall into place. God wouldn't have placed this desire in my heart for no reason, and I know that. I just sense that the time is coming closer. I can see a church sponsored program, where a group of mothers gather for a few hours on a Saturday, and prepare a weeks worth of meals together to freeze and feed their families- and it doesn't cost them a penny. Child care is provided free of charge, and the food is provided by the church, all that's required is the time and the effort to do the actual cooking. Imagine the empowerment that would do! Imagine, these women feeding their children delicious, nutritious food that they prepared themselves for the first time ever. And as their skills grow, they learn to do this very thing on their own. I get shivers just thinking about it. I'm getting closer to drawing up actual plans, and someday, God will make this a reality, and that is incredibly exciting!

But for now... I will do my part and be compassionate. I will continue the learning process I am undergoing, and I will, above all, pray. I will pray for the churches around me to take up the call to compassion and mercy themselves. And I will pray for our new government leaders- for they are going to need those prayers heartily. Our President-Elect is going to need our prayers to keep him and his family safe and strong. God Bless him for agreeing to the job he will be assuming in the months to come.