Amen, brother, amen. And I really must thank you, because you reminded me of something that I'd forgotten in all the election frenzy: when we constantly gripe and carp about our bad political leadership, it hurts our testimony and dishonors God.

And I'm very, very guilty of it. Although I'm a conservative, I've been griping, quite loudly, about Bush for several years. But that was wrong of me, and by God's grace I'm gonna knock it off.

And, by God's grace, some of the brethren are gonna have to knock it off when talking about Obama! We'll get lots of practice holding our tongues in the next few years.

I'm not talking about serious, principled objections to policies; I'm talking about saying (as I have said) "I despise Bush," or jabbering about what a bad person Obama is. Let's always stand up for our beliefs, but let's try leaving the personalities out of it.

When I gripe about Bush, in front of unbelievers, they have a right to say, "Why, those Christians are no different from me! They're full of resentment and rebellion, too!"

I've been thinking about I Peter 2:13, 14 all week; but I had forgotten verse 15!



Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.