A vote for "why"

One thing about kids is they LOVE to ask the question "but why?" I was one of those kids and karma has made sure that that I was blessed with three little ones of my own that ask the "why" question of me over and over. Kids, by nature, are constantly trying to figure out why things are they way they are. A simple one word answer of "because" isn't enough.

Somewhere along the way, many of us lose our quest for "why". Is it because we get too complacent? Is it because we get too busy to take the time to figure it out? Is it because we are so bombarded by what others are trying to convince us of why things are a certain way that we take their word for it because that's easier than finding answer ourselves? Whatever the reason, the "why" concedes to "that's what I heard" and that's that.

How dangerous is this? Afterall, figuring out "why" and fixing the root cause is how we keep from repeating an undesirable history.

So "why" am I thinking about this on election day? As I listen to the news talk non-stop about the state of the economy - the housing market, Wall Street, etc etc and the politicians point their fingers at each other as the reason the for the mess, I stopped for minute to really think about "why" we got into the mess.

Is the economic crisis really a political issue as much as it is a moral issue? Think about it, the housing crisis was brought on by many people's sense of entitlement for something more than they could afford. The shady loans by mortagage lenders were done to pad their own pockets due to their own sense of entitlement for more money. The politicians are all pitching their ideas on how we fix what all this entitlement has caused but no politician can fix the entitlement posture of an entire society. To fix this, Americans need to look to themselves and make a change in their life to stop all of this entitlement, live-for-today, instant gratification lifestyle that has become a norm for our society.

So, my thought is the politicians may be able, by God's grace, to fix the symptom why we are in this mess, but only the American people can fix the "why" we are in it in the first place. If this doesn't happen, history will without a doubt repeat itself in the future.

The sermon at my church last Sunday spoke to this very point. The title of the sermon was "Reset". The message was simple - we all just need to SLOW down and really get back to doing what we NEED to and buying what we NEED to when we NEED to vs. buying what we WANT to NOW just because we can. A great biblical story about this very thing can be found in the book of Solomon. He drank from solid gold cups because he could and silver just wouldn't do. He had chairs that were ivory, and as though ivory is not precious enough, they were gilded in gold because he could, and you know, wood wouldn't do. You'll have to read the rest of the story to get the true "moral of the story" but what a great reminder of how we can get carried away with unnecessary things because we feel somehow entitled to them whether they are needed or not.

So, as we go to the polls today and vote for someone we believe can lead a nation out of a mess, remember to do your parts. Yes, plural. (1) Vote, (2) Reset - ask yourself "why" as you take a look at your own personal economy and make the needed changes and, (2) pray DAILY for yourself and others especially during these crazy times. Afterall, the ultimate leader is not an elected official at all.