Confession: I am a self-proclaimed news junkie (Fox news, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin). I don't watch any sitcoms on a regular basis and game shows do absolutely nothing for me, but I am hooked on news. I watch Fox and Friends in the morning, listen to Rush from 12 to 3 (best 3 hours on the radio, just ask him) and follow it up with Sean Hannity on the radio. My evening ritual is O'Reiley and Hannity again, this time in living color! What can I say? I'm hooked.
My online reading is news centered, too. American Thinker and the Daily Caller are my primary sources when searching the web but I like to jump around to all sorts of outlets to see opposing viewpoints. I used to buy the USA today but why waste the money? They never covered true news and they charged for it to boot. No thanks. I'll search the web instead.
But web searcher beware. And cell phone user, too, for that matter. If you have been following the news, or simply flipping through channels on the TV, then you are probably aware of the fact that you are being watched by the government.
This isn't really all that shocking. Google knows how to target its users for advertising. Facebook does the same. AT&T can pull up your call records. So can Verizon, TMobile, and Sprint. Why should we believe that the government couldn't get their hands on all that information? Couple that breaking news with the ongoing scandal of the IRS targeting certain political groups because of their beliefs and you have a government on an out of control power spree. Again, are we surprised?
Many Americans are acting like this is a new revelation and they now "fear" their government. Since September 11, 2001 Americans have feared terrorism. It had existed before that fateful day but we hadn't been met with its evil in such a public and devastating way. Ever since that day our country has lived in the shadow of the possibility of another attack. We take our shoes off at airports, put our liquids in little ziplock bags and endure harmful X-rays all in the name of "security." We have let our fear scare us into altering our way of living and viewing the world.
Now we have another fear to add to the list: fear of our government. The news of our computers and phones being watched has cut to the core of American life: our privacy. This is something so fundamental. We would like to believe that what we do in the comfort of our own homes is only ours to know. But that is not so.
How will we respond to this news? Will we cower in fear? Limit our cell phone use? Clear our internet history at the end of each search? Avoid searching for conservative rallies and pro-life groups? Will we allow fear to control us and limit us?
We should never let fear drive our actions or cause us to live with anxiety and stress. God sent his son Jesus Christ to take away this fear. He is the King of this world, he always has been and always will be. He rules on his thrown for all eternity. The nations of this world are fleeting and temporary, but God's Kingdom is eternal. It is never ending. Our home is not here, on this earth, it is in the eternal Kingdom. We are aliens in this world, just strangers passing through. So, why fear what this world can do to us? If God is for us, who can be against us?
If you watch the news and get a queazy stomach and become filled with worry, lift your head, take heart, you have an eternal home ahead! To let fear of this world rule your thoughts and emotions is short sighted. Have you forgotten that this life is only a blink of an eye? Just think of where you will spend eternity. Think of who you will spend eternity with: the great and mighty King, the creator of the heavens and the earth, your perfect Savior.
Our government is certainly out of control. Terrorists really do exist and want to bring harm to Americans and all those who hold religious beliefs different from their own. These are true threats but they are not to be feared. Instead, God is to be trusted. God is to be praised. Our eyes need not be focused on the evil of this world and what it can do to us, but instead, we should focus on hearts and minds on the true ruler of this world. He is almighty in power, saving us for eternity and providing security for our souls here on earth.
Who then shall we fear?
No comments:
Post a Comment