Most of us were weary of hearing about the "fiscal cliff". Most rational Americans knew that the elected officials would reach some type of last minute deal with each side claiming some type of victory. Though the President and Congress had two years to work on this, they waited until the last minute. The President even took off on a vacation to Hawaii while this "disaster" was still a possibility and as soon as it was over, he flew back to Hawaii to continue his vacation. Sadly, this activity by our officials in Washington DC has become a staple of American life. We have become a nation of procrastination, putting off what needs to be done until the last minute.
Now, if you got tired of hearing about the "Fiscal cliff" just wait for two more months when the debate over the national debt will hit the big time. All the President and Congress really did was put off difficult choices for two more months. Isn't it amazing that the fiscal cliff was scheduled to happen AFTER the November elections? I'm not trying to sound cynical, but our government leaders have become driven by reelection, not by what benefits our country. The debt ceiling discussions will probably be more heated than the fiscal cliff discussions were. So enjoy the two months break before we have to listen to more politicking, arguing, newscasts and squabbling before another last minute deal is done. This deal will once again, put off facing this national debt crisis, which will eventually destroy our country. The President and Congress will try to assure us that everything is wonderful because America can now borrow more money (But there will be no substantive cuts made in spending). The national debt has grown in every presidency since Gerald Ford, so this goes beyond party lines. Below are the deficits at the end of each President's term. Presidents who were reelected will have two lines:
Ford 653,544,000,000
Carter 930,210,000,000
Reagan 1,662,966,000,000
2,684,392,000,000
GH Bush 4,177,009,000,000
Clinton 5,323,171,750,783
5,662,216,013,697
GW Bush 7,596,165,867,424
10,699,804,864,612
Obama 16,443,486,609,000
This inability to control spending goes across party lines. Senator Barak Obama in a speech on the Senate floor in 2006, was opposed to raising the debt limit to $9 trillion for a Republican President and said this: "The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit
is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government
can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing
financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s
reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us
domestically and internationally. Leadership means that “the buck stops
here.” Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today
onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt
problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better." Wonderful words, but once he became President, he was very comfortable with increasing the debt of our country more than the total debt of Presidents Ford through Clinton. Our political system is set up for failure in dealing with long-term issues which are critical for the success of our country.
Eventually, we will have to deal with this incredible debt by making massive cuts to our spending or there will be an implosion which will rock our country beyond repair. In most families, once we have maxed out our credit, the banks don't raise our limit. The banks make us pay off what we owe. If we can't pay, they begin to repossess whatever we have of value. Our families have to change habit and eat top ramen noodles instead of going out for steak. We have to tell our children that we can't afford anything but the basics. We make dramatic changes in our lifestyle to pay off our debts. However, our Presidents and Congresses have been unable to do that. They fear losing reelection if they make people go without all that was promised to them. And so, we find ourselves in this mess which will bring irreparable damage to our country. Each new President and Congress simply procrastinate rather than dealing with the root issue. So the pain of procrastination builds. Of course, those who vote must shoulder much of the blame because we keep electing the same people to those positions. Obviously, the American people are comfortable with this massive debt and putting off dealing with it until there is a huge meltdown that cannot be changed.
The way our country is handling our debt should stand in stark contrast to the life of the follower of Christ. II Timothy 1:7 tells us, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of love, power and self-discipline." Though others around us lack self-discipline, God gives us the Holy Spirit who brings this discipline into our lives. We know responsibility because the Holy Spirit leads us in that direction. So we are able to get up early each morning to spent time alone with God, praying and studying His Word in preparation for the day. We are able to maintain a healthy weight and exercise regimen. We are able to work hard at our jobs and be productive whether our human boss is watching or not. We are able to listen to our parents and obey them with respect. We are able to make time each day to be with our children and involved in their lives. We are able to not use credit cards which wrack up debt, but pay off our bills each month. We are able to speak kind words to others, even those who have nasty things to say to us. We have become the antithesis of our elected officials because of the Holy Spirit.
So as you approach this new year, don't approach it with fear. Approach it with anticipation. Allow God to show you the areas in your life which are lacking self-discipline and dedicate those areas to Him. Let the Holy Spirit give you the self-discipline you need.
Today at the gym, it happened again. The "resolution" crowd has shown up. Of the fifteen men in the locker room I saw as I was leaving, only three of them were familiar. These folks are either new members who have decided it is time to get in shape or they are older members who decided that since they were paying for membership to the gym they may as well use the gym. We will see how they last because it usually takes until mid-February for the crowd to thin back out again. I pray that you won't be one of those in the "resolution" crowd, but you will allow Christ to change your life in 2013. Don't let the pain of procrastination become a part of your life, but live in the joy of God's self-discipline. And when you begin to hear politicians ranting and raving about the debt limit/ceiling, may it reminds you to allow God's Holy Spirit to give you self-discipline so you won't find yourself in the same painful situation as our country.
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