States of Change?

So, Victoria is ahead of the pack in Australia as a State of Change. The media tells us that the Labour Party has become “toxic”, and that it is just a matter of time before there is a change of government around Australia. There are a couple of questions that I have about this. Question number one is to what extent the media takes credit for the attitudinal changes in voters? The bigger and better question is “how much do we see God in this change?
Last week I wrote a piece on the upcoming election and our responses as Christian to wrong laws. I do not suggest that the piece was instrumental in our changed political scenario, but I did at the time suggest that God can use us believers as agents of change, not by resistance by the process of the ballot.
When men and women of conscience act according to their beliefs the power of God to effect change is very real. If we have been used by God to change the political climate then it is our responsibility to keep this new government up to the mark by being a God influence. When bills are introduced we must look at the detail of the bill before it is voted upon and by giving our members feedback based upon the insights from the Bible.
Godly government is required for that government to enjoy the blessing of God, and need the prayer support of the people of God if it is to remain a good government. As the People of God we must see this government as being put here by God, regardless of our “political” position, we must give it time to grow into government and until we see the first-fruits of the political process.
The problem that can lead to an ordered proceession from one political master to another, “under God”, is when the incoming government goes making changes, fiddling at the periphery, based upon party political innuendo and dogma. Unfortunately it is too easy for men to forget, or deny, that they are in a position of power as the “instrument of God” to achieve change, and to imagine that they are in that position by virtue of something of their personal merit.
The story of the Rich Fool is very applicable here. Men can build themselves up, in their own estimation, character will out and some will think as did this man of much wealth that he had made it himself. In fact, the night he completed his last silo was the night he was called to account for his life. In the same way Members of Parliament can lose perspective and start to think that they are doing the job on their own merit.
This is one of the main reasons to support a new government. Good governance needs us to keep the members accountable under God and to ensure that happens we must pray and support the Members of Parliament, our God calls us to do this whether we like it or not.