Another State of the Union address from our president calls for another response from citizens of the kingdom of heaven.
Our president shared some good news and good thoughts with us. I heard him say that we welcome everyone who loves our country and pursues legal immigration. I also heard him say many things that provoke antagonism, rather than inspiring cooperation and unity.
What if our response begins by giving thanks to God at all times? We know and depend on the fact that God makes all things work together for good and we know that there is no authority except from God.
We also know that great power brings great responsibility with it, which is why Paul includes a command to pray for those in authority. Praying for others is a positive expression of energy and raises our consciousness of being ambassadors and advocates, rather than adversaries.
As ambassadors, we remember to have salt in ourselves. Salt kills the yeast of the corrupt human ego—arrogance, pretentiousness, combativeness, and the adversarial spirit. As ambassadors, we can hear in people’s complaints an opportunity to express sympathy, along with the chance to provide the cool, living water of God’s grace. God’s grace inspires us to be patient, kind, and wise as we direct conversations with people toward recognizing best practices in government and working and praying as we are able to promote those best practices.
God bless us as we seek to extend His kingdom during our sojourn through this world and these times.