In the End

While reading one of my books for a class the author of the textbook said that understanding comparative politics and teaching it will help make each of us better citizens and a better country as a whole. I am not sure whether or not the author was kidding because I wasn't really paying attention to the style that he was writing in, but that one sentence really struck me as interesting. The author was trying to explain that by having more knowledge about how all of the different countries are run, we may be able to predict wars and stop them in a more humane way. The author is not claiming that what he is saying is factual, but it is still an interesting opinion and idea. His claim is that knowledge will help make us better citizens and better people. However, there is really only one things that we can rely on through all of this and that is faith.

Every single day we can turn on the news and see a story about some horror that is going on in other countries and even on our own soil. We have all read about the wars and how long the battles were, but no where did I see the mention of God's name, or a place where someone called upon the Lord for help. If we want to know something about another country or if we are in fear that they are going to clash with us, wouldn't you think to pray about it? Not praying is like going into war without a weapon.

Nothing in this world is going to get any better, and lives are not going to be changed as long as the people in this country continue to push God out. The places that God is not welcome have seen so much devastation. Even in my life, the times where I push God away because I blame Him for all that has gone wrong and is going wrong, but then I notice that at the points where I feel so lost He always takes me back when I need Him most.

We have the gift of freedom in this country and in our lives but there is a price to pay for that freedom. We fight so hard to be good people and to retain our freedom but at what cost? Just being a good person and embracing freedom is not going to get us to heaven. Sure, we can give people the tools to be better people and to better understand those from other nations but again where is that going to get us in the end?

I am going to leave you with this passage from scripture to dwell on and take into consideration over becoming a "better citizen" and a "better person".

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:8