The certain way for a nation or a church or a family to fail miserably is to have weak or nonexistent leadership. When political leaders do not lead in righteousness, the nation falls and its sins bring contemptible reproach upon it. When men fail in their proper leadership of their families, the family falls and all members of it suffer – sometimes beyond repair. When the church has no proper leadership it falls, becomes lukewarm at best, and never is able to accomplish its proper mission!
Such does not have to be! Difficult times call for strong leadership. Such leadership demands the strongest conviction on the part of the leaders to be successful.
All who have their eyes open to discern the times will agree that we do live in a very materialistic, evil world. Satan continues to do his job well. While many hide their heads in the sands of ignorance and naivety, it is obvious that evil abounds in our world.
A decision to serve the Lord requires absolute faith in the great God of the universe! It requires a humble and complete submission to His will. If there was ever a need for men to stand in the gap and fight for what is right and good, it is now.
The underlying cause of corruptions in the nation, the church and society in general, is the failure of proper Christian leadership in the most important unit of society – the home. When men today, as did Joshua of old, (Joshua 24:15) assert their authority over their families, things will change for good.
There has always been the need to choose between good and evil, right and wrong (see Deuteronomy 30:19). The Word of God furnishes man completely to every good work (2 Timothy 3: 16-17). Instead of whining about how bad things are, we need men who will lead their families in paths of righteousness by serving the Lord faithfully.
The problems caused by immorality portrayed in the media (TV, magazines, newspapers, etc.) are avoided with the help of Christian fathers (supported by Christian wives) who forbid children from viewing such. The acts of immorality prevalent in modern society are portrayed as being normal. The faithful Christian man will show the abominations of such to his children and wife, and provide avenues of proper behavior, both in his example and in his teachings.
Problems of various kinds will always occur among men. The church of our Lord must be led through these problems with strong and faithful Elders, supported by all faithful men of the church and their families, as the problems are faced and solved by submission to Almighty God’s directives through His Word.
Whether in the nation, the church, or the family, the solution to ongoing problems is to “choose to serve the Lord.” Any other proposed solution falls and disintegrates by its own ungodly weight! May our Lord bless us as we choose to serve Him.
-Glenn B. Ramsey, Professor of Religious Education
