Understanding the Importance of Voting

This article is to remind Americans of the importance of their voting.

Written by Maureen Leidy - © 2002 Pagewise

With the presidential election upon us, it is more important than ever to get out and vote. Many people think that their vote does not matter. Imagine if everyone felt that way – we would never elect a president! There have been many, many elections – not just on a local level – that have been decided by less than 100 votes. So thinking that your vote does not count could not be farther from the truth.

Maybe you feel that when it comes down to it, all the candidates are the same, so why bother voting. Even if this is how you truly feel, remember that the winning president-elect may have an enormous impact on our children's future, not just for four years but for 40 years. How? Because with each new president that is elected, there is a chance that a United States Supreme Court Justice will retire. The president alone has the power to nominate a new Justice, and Supreme Court Justices hold office for life. While Congress and the President may pass laws and veto bills, ultimately it is the Supreme Court that interprets the Constitution and consequently determines how each American will live his or her life.

If you are still not convinced of the impact the Supreme Court has had on this country and the differences in the various presidential appointments to the Court, compare the Supreme Court decisions of the late 60's and early 70's – Miranda v. State of Arizona, Roe v. Wade with the Court's decisions of the 80's that have gradually whittled away at the decisions of a more liberal Supreme Court. Chances are the next president will nominate at least two Justices to the Supreme Court. This will affect not only your life but that of your children and grandchildren. So the question then comes down to which candidate would you prefer to choose the most influential position in this country, that of a United States Supreme Court Justice.

Without minimizing the importance of the presidential election, it is also important to vote in your state and local elections as well. Do you complain about the policies of your children's school? If so, ask yourself, "Did I vote for the members of our school board? Do I even know the members of the school board?" Change starts at a grass roots level whether you live on a farm or in the inner city, and all change starts by electing people to implement change, whether it is a mayor or a president.

Remember, too, when you are unhappy with the condition of your town's roads or your state's tax rate, being involved, voting for and knowing your elected officials will enable you to voice your complaints to the appropriate representatives. You voted for them and they work for you.

Some other useless reasons for not voting are that the polls are too crowded, or you cannot get there on time, or you do not have transportation. There are many organizations that volunteer their time to ensure everyone's right to vote. If you need a ride, call the League of Women Voters; if you know you cannot get to the polls on time, request an absentee ballot. What could be easier than voting by mail?

Whether the excuse is apathy or laziness, voting has become a privilege that far many too Americans take for granted. The next time you neglect to vote, ask yourself how you would feel if you didn't have a choice – to elect a president, or choose a job, or decide how many children to have. There are many countries where a person does not have a choice, and I'm sure they would gladly change places with you for the fundamental privilege of voting!

Parenting 101

By: Lawrence Kelley

I received this post via mailing list from a preacher in WI named Whit Sasser. This really struck a chord with me because I see so many of my brethren who spend all their time in tearing down false doctrines and not as much reinforcing and teaching the doctrine of Christ. Though I understand the need for knowing about false doctrines, I also feel we need to be built up and encouraged. Consider the example of Jesus. He certainly was not afraid of confrontation. However, He dealt with it as it came up rather than spending all His time looking for it. (jle)

There was once a woman who knew many true doctrines and twice as many false ones. With one very notable exception (which we will return to later), she was aware of all the dangers, perils and pitfalls the faithful could encounter. Daily, she warned her children about the falsehoods in the media, the errors of the cults and the evils of drugs, sex, and rock and roll. Being dutiful children, they listened to their mother intently and learned to be afraid of almost everything. Unfortunately, as they grew to adulthood, they ceased to be active in the Lord's work and one even gave up going to church all together. One day in a conversation with a friend it finally dawned on her that there was one spiritual danger she had forgotten. The danger of defining your faith solely by opposing the things that are wrong. This she should have done, without forgetting that following Jesus is about pursuing what is good and right. The exhortation is for us to inspire our children to go after all that is good and true and beautiful with a holy zeal and love for righteousness. Let us teach them to stand against what is wrong, but more importantly, to strive for what is right.

P.S. If you would like to be added to brother Sasser's mailing list, send an email requesting such to wsasser@tds.net.

Are You Truly Sanctified?

By: Joshuah Ellis

Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see the good works of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Along with the obvious application of this statement, there are some other elements that should be considered as well. The implication that is made by a command to let out lights shine is that there is an amount of darkness that needs to be acknowledged in our lives. Why would we need to shine like lights if we would not be noticed? How could we be noticed if there is no contrast between us and others? The fact is, there should be contrast. We were not told to let our lights shine so that we could blend in with our surroundings. We, as the Lord’s people, should stand out and be noticeable. We should be sanctified.

What exactly does it mean to be sanctified? We hear this word a lot but do we truly understand it? To be sanctified is to be set apart as something sacred or to be made holy. Paul tells the Corinthians that though they were sinners at one time, they had been sanctified in the name of Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:11). Similarly, we have been sanctified by the blood of Christ as well. However, it is something that has only been made possible for us. We have to uphold the principles of being sanctified or set apart. We cannot truly be set apart as holy if we are taking part in things of a sinful nature. Jesus said that we cannot serve God and mammon at the same time (Matthew 6:24). James even tells us that “friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). We can clearly see, from the scriptures, that there is more to being sanctified than simply wearing the name tag of a Christian.

As Christians, we often speak about “the world.” We use the term “worldly” to describe those who are not focused on serving God but rather serving their own fleshly desires. In our common vernacular, to be likened with the world is something that many of us do not want, because of its close association to things of a sinful nature. Unfortunately, for many, to be sanctified is only something that is only mentioned as the action is more difficult to carry out. To truly be sanctified, there needs to be a clear distinction between the people of God and the people of the world. Are you doing all you can to make sure that there is no confusion as to whom you belong?

So how do we know if we are truly sanctified? To echo the words of Jesus, “by their fruits you will know them’ (Matthew 7:20). Sanctification is not mere a self proclaimed state of being, we must live it! Therefore, when we are tempted to cross over into areas that can be described, at best, as morally gray, stay away! It is not enough to stay just out of reach where sin is concerned. We must live as those who have been truly set apart. For some of us, this might mean that we need to surround ourselves with different people. For some we may have to drastically alter our lifestyles. Some of us may have some serious repenting to consider. What ever change needs to be made; it is my prayer that we will have the courage and desire to see it through.

Too often, in our spiritual lives, we forget that the opportunity for salvation is the gift and the rest is conditional. Make no mistake, we serve a God who loves us dearly and fiercely enough to sacrifice His perfect son for our sins (John 3:16). However, that does not cancel out the fact that we have to do our part. Living up to our call of sanctification is certainly part of that. Remember there are things that though they may be lawful are not helpful (1 Corinthians 6:12). Are you more concerned with the staying “technically sinless” or are you striving to serve God with all you have at all times?