Don't grow weary in well-doing!

by Michael G. Mickey

(11-7-06)

Between the recent Mark Foley scandal in the GOP and the once-denied now-confirmed "sexual immorality" of the Reverend Ted Haggard, who was, until recently, pastor of a 14,000-member church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, many conservatives across America are reeling. Some are so disillusioned that they aren't motivated to go out and vote their faith to the best of their ability this election day 2006.

The logic behind their broken spirits is that Foley was, apparently, a perverted liberal in a conservative's suit and the Reverend Ted Haggard a hypocritical homosexual playing the role of a conservative Christian, family man and pastor. Setting aside my own frustrations for a moment, and I certainly have them with both parties, I picked myself up by the boot straps this morning, went to the polls and voted my faith to the extent I could. I voted in favor of an amendment to my state's constitution that will forbid same-sex marriage if passed. Voting across party lines, based on my convictions, I voted for two Republicans and a Democrat. I hope every reader of my site who reads this before the polls close today will follow my lead and get to the polls to vote their faith to the best of their ability as well, even if it means voting for what seems to be little more than the lesser of two evils. To fail to do so, in my opinion, is to admit defeat and I, for one, am not defeated. Am I disappointed often by our nation's political system? Yes! Do I feel completely defeated? No!

Is it possible I voted for someone today who is, unbeknownst to me, morally and spiritually corrupt to be a leader of mine? I hope not, but it's a possibility. Is it possible that a decent person I voted for today may become dishonest and corrupt later? Absolutely, as we all have to keep an eye on our spiritual well-being and our moral convictions that the devil not deceive us into improper conduct! It's important, in order for us to stay grounded in reality, for us to remember that many men and women who are considered "good" by humanity's measuring stick sin each and every day, I among them, but does that mean that any of us should surrender to evil? No!

Even when the sin of someone like Ted Haggard, revered in Time Magazine in 2005 as one of the 25 most influential evangelical Christians, is revealed, bringing shame upon himself, his family, his 14,000 church members and the Body of Christ itself, should we throw our hands up in the air and surrender out of frustration? No! We have to keep on fighting for the best-case scenario to occur, even when the best-case scenario isn't the ideal scenario those of us of faith wish it could be! We can only influence things to the extent the flawed human political system we're subject to living under allows, right? These are critical times we live in and, if we are to claim a victory for Christ and His Church, this is not the time for us to be downtrodden in spirit, holding a defeatist attitude. This is the time for all of us to feel a little righteously indignant - and to act on that frustration!

To his credit - and I do credit him for it - even the Reverend Ted Haggard, having committed a number of abominable sins, hasn't signaled that he, in spite of his sinfulness, has given up! Upon coming clean about what he has done, even though he lied initially, Haggard has said it was "appropriate" that he be dismissed as the pastor of his church because of what he has done. He has also made no excuses for his conduct, stating, "I am guilty of sexual immorality. I am a deceiver and a liar. There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I’ve been warring against it all of my adult life."

And Haggard's wife? She hasn't given up either, even on her husband who has been committing same-sex adultery against her for three years or so. She is quoted in an Agape Press article as saying she remains "committed to him till death do us part" and that her husband is now "the visible and public evidence that every man, woman, and child needs a Savior." Amen to that as we are all sinners, even the best of us!

We shall reap if we faint not!

Galatians 6:9: And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

While it is easy for us, as Christians living in the end times mess we're surrounded by, to get frustrated to the point of absolute exhaustion, we can't afford to faint under the pressure! The Holy Spirit dwells within the heart of every born-again believer which tells me we CAN continue to fight, even when we find ourselves feeling battered! Not only can we stay in the fight between good and evil, the Word tells us we can bring in a harvest for the Lord if we refuse to submit to the darkness around us! We SHALL reap if we faint not!

If recent events in your life have left you flat as a Christian, remember that we "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12)

What does spiritual wickedness in high places hope we're going to do at this pivotal point in our nation's history? Surrender, of course! We can see this clearly in the timing of the Ted Haggard scandal surfacing, for example!

As I write this on 11-7-06, two issues concerning same-sex marriage are being voted on in Colorado where both Haggard and his male prostitute, Mike Jones, live. Was a goal of Jones outing Haggard to help the homosexual agenda move forward in Colorado by discouraging conservative voters? Yes, as we see in the following excerpt from an MSNBC article:

Jones, who said he is gay, said he came forward because he was upset when he discovered who Haggard was and that New Life opposed same-sex marriage — a key issue in Colorado, with a pair of issues on Tuesday’s ballot.

“I wish him well. I wish his family well,” Jones said Sunday. “My intent was never to destroy his family. My intent was to expose a hypocrite.”

Using the example above, what do the powers and principalities described in Ephesians 6:12 hope Christians will do when presented with challenging issues like the Ted Haggard scandal, especially at election time when the powers of darkness can most influence change in our land? They hope to see us faint, of course!

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, don't grow weary in well doing because of a scandal here and there! Instead of fainting, we need to grow stronger in our resolve to stand our ground for Christ, understanding that we're in a fierce and unrelenting fight - one the Word of God says we are ultimately going to win through the power of Jesus Christ!

Fight, Christians! Fight!