Change I can believe in

Proverbs 15:2 (ESV)
² The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.

I think it is time for a change.

I was thinking recently about the upcoming election cycle we will all need to endure. As I thought about it, I thought of the immense amount of dollars that we will be spending on the various campaigns. It seems to me that millions, if not billions, of dollars are spent each election in order to secure seats of power and positions of privilege.

I began to think…..The other day a gentleman approached me and was talking about investing in our Nicolet Bible Program. The very first question he asked was one concerning our effectiveness. He wanted to know if we are accomplishing what we claim to be accomplishing and for which we were seeking financial aid. I found the question reasonable and proper, and proceeded to answer it for him.

But, I could not help but think about what is going to be happening in our elections. There will be a grand effort to raise millions (billions) of dollars to put toward a system that is in utter failure. People will want money, and lots of it, so they can tell us the bad about their opponent.

I don't know about you, but I know that the sitting senators in Wisconsin do not need to campaign. We know what they believe in, we have a clear record, and their words, if they do not match their record, should ring meaningless. They do not need to spend any money on a campaign, and if they do, they will not be clarifying their position, for their positions are clear; they will be demeaning an opponent.

Then I began to think…what if…..

What if the business world would put their money where their mouth is (or in this case, not put their money….) and refuse to donate dollars to this broken system. What if we the people decided to not donate a dime to a political candidate? What if we forced all of the campaigns into bankruptcy?

I am not saying we should not give to worthy causes. I am saying that supporting what is going on in Washington D.C. is not a worthy cause. It does not work, and there is no evidence of it working now or in the future. Those who are a part of the establishment are responsible for this record deficit we face, and have yet to have the courage to do anything to clean it up….except talk.

In fact, I would like all who read this to encourage anyone and everyone to stop donating to political causes until we can be assured that our leaders will actually lead. Instead, find a charity that is doing the job, preferably a Christian charity, and check them out. If they pass the smell test, donate your money to them. Let's make this year a record year in supporting causes that work, in backing charities that are actually charitable, and who have real, time-tested track records and/or leadership. Let's bankrupt the corrupt and flood the righteous.

While we are reassigning wealth, let's do the same to athletics. There is no reason that people in this country should be given millions of dollars a year for playing a game. Let's bankrupt the greedy by not buying those club seats, giving up our season tickets, and canceling our NFL ticket package. Let's take that money and give it to an organization that is doing something to change the future by investing in children, providing for widows, and instilling dreams of what could be if a nation would humble themselves and seek and obey God. Let's make those who are truly out to honor God those who have the wealth, the facilities, and the clout.

Let's quit contributing to things that have no real significance and start reassigning our wealth.

I am not advocating class war or penalizing the rich. I am advocating that the rich penalize the ineffective. I am hoping that we as a nation, at the end of our run, can look back and see that our lives mattered, that we were successful in things that actually mattered, and that we used our tremendous (but temporal) power and wealth on something that actually mattered.

Our government does not work. Many of our schools do not work. We pay people way too much who do things that matter way too little.

It is time for a revolution….of sorts. Let's bankrupt the system by bankrolling the things that actually matter. We need to start watching for companies that donate to political candidates, and realize that their companies are foolish in the way they are using their money, and instead, invest our money in companies that will use the profits we give them more wisely.

I never thought I would be for a redistribution of wealth, but in this sense I am. I am pledging not to give any money to any campaign, and when possible, will mute all campaign commercials when they invade my news program. I am going to do all I can to minimize the impact of the meaningless and maximize my impact in things that would matter. I want to, at the end of my life, be successful at the things that actually mattered. I already know what my senator believes in; he need not say a word. I will not vote for him based on what he has done and has not done while in office.

Join me.