I don’t know about you, but there is a bit of dread as we head to 2024. Since 2020, I feel we have remained in a 48-month-long election cycle. To say I am tired of political rancor and turbulence is quite an understatement. Vying for power is quite ugly and brings out the worst in most people. Then often, the “worst” filters down to the rest of us becoming followers of bad behavior.
Congressmen are leaving Congress; people are electing not to vote or to care. “I give up!” they say instead of “Let me try giving and doing more to help!” The bad behavior is winning and creating more bullies.
Some people applaud hate-filled rants and crave retribution. “Let’s punish the world!” becomes a mantra instead of “Let’s encourage the world by our example!”
Now, do you, too, dread 2024?
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Savior. God didn’t give up or not care, did he? He sent his son to teach us how kindness, humility, and love bring us closer to Him. Christ taught us not to be afraid of death and to honor His Father in all that we do. And he didn’t mean just on Christmas or Easter or on any given Sunday.
I am constantly amazed at how folks can dismiss the teachings Christ brought to us when involves politics. It is as if our chosen candidates or political party preferences come before the words of God. How does it become the “right” way in our minds when it is clearly the opposite of what we were taught? How do we dismiss godliness when God is still alive and well in our midst?
How does America win when we accept rude, intimidating, self-righteous behavior? Maybe God needs to win in 2024. And the only way He can is by us being godlier every day in all aspects of our lives.
Christ was born in a lowly stable to show us that a king can rise from humble beginnings. Jesus died as a villain to some, but again he rose from the trials and tribulations of the hate placed upon him. Folks just couldn’t see who He was through their political blindness and allegiance to their leaders. So, what has changed in 2023 years?
Politics is not the answer to our problems, nor is a congressperson or a president. The answer to our various problems is to find solutions with respectful compromise and better attitudes among our leaders as well as ourselves. When we put our Savior in the middle of the conversation, we become stewards of His words. And those who care must never give up or give in. Christ sure didn’t, even as he suffered all the slings and arrows thrown at Him. He merely uttered, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” They didn’t, but we do now.
We know better than those who tormented Christ below the cross. The difference is that we know Christ lived on after his death. He walked out of a tomb and showed the world the scars of living, yet his spirit remained and is with us now. If only we believe that to be true.
That’s how we revive hope and dignity in 2024. That is how we will be the light of the world and help the generations that follow us. Instead of using the adage, “I am behaving badly because I want to create a better America for my children!” why not say instead, “I want my behavior to reflect the words of my savior and then America will be a better place for my children.”
The glory God showed to us on that Christmas night long ago should never become secondary to anything we do or are. If you think about it, there has been no greater leader than the child born in the stable. There has never been a more significant influence on Earth than Christ. And he wasn’t elected by the people but instead, he was chosen by God to lead the people home.
Let’s not forget as we head into 2024 to take Christmas with us each day, to honor the Savior through our actions, and to remember that power lies only in the beautiful hands of God.
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Lynn Walker Gendusa is a Georgia author and columnist. Her latest book is “Southern Comfort: Stories of Family, Friendship, Fiery Trials, and Faith.” She can be reached at www.lynngendusa.com. For more of her inspirational stories, click here.
