Loren Lippincott
As we approach the end of 2024 we find ourselves between two important Christian holidays. Thanksgiving is about returning thanks to God for the many blessings he has bestowed on our nation. Christmas, of course, celebrates the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest gift to a world in sorely need of redemption and ultimate truth.
In mid-November I attended a Pro-Family Legislators Conference in Dallas, Texas, with seven other fellow Nebraskans. The event was hosted by Wallbuilders and featured many guest speakers, including Glenn Beck. It was refreshing to join with over 400 legislators from a majority of the states, to seek a renewal of faith and a return to the values that have made America a beacon of hope to the world.
Each Wednesday morning at 6:45 during the Nebraska legislative session, about 14 senators attend a weekly Bible study in the office of one of the senators. Last year we studied the life of Daniel and the year before the life of Joseph. These two Biblical personalities, as you may remember, were high ranking government officials! It is refreshing to recharge and stay grounded in the Word with fellow brothers and sisters while trying to discern the right path in the business of lawmaking.
Recently I heard a preacher say sermons should follow a certain sequence and I believe the same is true in politics and in all relationships, really. The preacher said truth originates with God (expressed today through the Bible). That message is then communicated through a human messenger who gives voice to those truths, touching the listener’s emotions and in turn motivating the will of the listener to take action. If a person’s principles are based upon Biblical beliefs founded on divine commands, decrees, laws, ordinances, precepts, promises and statutes, nearly all decisions can be made based in principle, regardless of the topic.
Over the past several years, America has seen an upsurge of lawlessness wherein even political leaders have called for the defunding of peacekeepers, in spite of the fact that law enforcement is one of the fundamental purposes of government. The progression is clear: When truth is compromised and instead lies are believed, this leads to delusional thinking followed by irrational actions and their inevitable negative consequences. We have seen that fatal sequence play out all over America.
This leads us to the question posed to Jesus of Nazareth by Pontius Pilate — what is truth? Who determines what truth is, and what rules should guide us as a nation? Since prayer and the Bible were removed from government schools in the 1960s, the use of God’s Word as a source of absolute truth has dwindled. Today many of our youth are seeking truth, certainty and meaning in their lives, but a godless system has no answers for them. Only a God-centered faith can bring meaning, purpose and real answers to a chaotic world.
Some say the recent Republican electoral victory was like winning the coin toss at the beginning of the game. There is much left to do before true victory can be declared. Dr. Charles Stanley once said that everywhere faith is mentioned in scripture, it is always accompanied by a work — always! We have our work cut out for us, whether it is lowering taxes, welfare reform, shoring up transportation and infrastructure or advancing prolife measures, all must be undergirded by principles guided by biblical truth. We must pray like King Solomon who asked for wisdom and discernment. There are many smooth sounding voices that speak to us daily in this business, so it is vital to keep our feet firmly planted on a foundation of divine truth. People often seem to believe they will get their point across better if they angrily shout their message with as much passion and volume as they can muster, however, Truth often speaks in soft and rational tones, realizing that when the cause is righteous, the truth will penetrate so there is no need for such tactics. Meanwhile, those who don’t operate on the side of truth are self-deceived. As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said “We are never deceived, we deceive ourselves.”
Loren Lippincott represents Legislative District 34 in the Nebraska State Senate. Read his column in the Nance County Journal.