“But He’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what
God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do
what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate
and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too
seriously—take God seriously.” (Micah 6:8, The Message)
My dad was a firefighter who worked with his hands and the strength of his back, in a dirty and sometimes dangerous job. He loved what he did, helping others, even though the pay wasn’t much. My father never complained that he had to moonlight—he fixed small appliances and rebuilt motors—just to take care of his wife and kids. He was truly a public servant, proud of his service to our little town. And he was always so proud to wear his uniform.
Pride in public service—there’s a concept that connects the great George Washington to the late Dorsey “Buddy” Huckabee. In fact, all of us, whether we are famous or not, whether we work in public service or not, are connected to each other, by the common threads of patriotism and identity. We are all in this together, so we might as well do right by each other. We have to roll up our sleeves and get to work—making the government work.
In 1630, John Winthrop and his fellow immigrants were aboard their ship, about to set foot on the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They were not even sure they could survive in the harsh New World. Winthrop offered worthy and memorable wisdom and encouragement. He urged them to follow the counsel of Micah, “to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.”
Continuing, Winthrop added, “We must delight in each other…rejoice together, mourn together, labor, and suffer together.” These were inspiring words. They helped define what this country was and what it is — and what it must be.
Winthrop predicted that the new land would become a “City upon a Hill.” Those words, of course, appear in the book of Matthew, in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus called upon his flock to be “the light of the world,” a shining example.
More than three centuries later, those words would also inspire Ronald Reagan. He believed that America must always be that “City on a Hill” and in a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference, declared that America was “the last best hope of man on earth.”
The last three decades in America have had their ups and downs. We will have to reengineer and reinvent our government, even as we rethink some of the missions of government. If we are going to solve our country’s problems, we will have to trust each other. But first we will have to gain each other’s confidence and there’s only one way to do that—by earning that trust.
People do want government to do some things and to do them well. Government should protect our borders; build roads, bridges, airports and water and sewage systems. It should maintain our parks, pick up the trash, and fix the potholes. It should make sure that children have access to a quality education. The amount of money to do those things is greatly challenged when government has to spend more and more of its money to restrain and contain behavior that is hurtful to others.
On April 29, 1992, truck driver Reginald Denny broke down in south central Los Angeles. Four thugs from the neighborhood pulled the unsuspecting trucker from his vehicle and savagely beat him within an inch of his life. Four other people from the same neighborhood came to his rescue and saved his life. This remarkable drama was caught on videotape and played repeatedly to a nation shocked by such an outrageous and senseless act of brutality.
Four citizens formed a mob and tried to murder an innocent man. Four other citizens formed a mission of mercy and saved him. They lived in the same neighborhood, but what made the difference was not where they lived, but how they lived. The character of the rescuers sharply contrasted with the lack of character in the rogues.
As I govern myself and restrain from behavior that hurts others, whether the hurt is physical, emotional, or financial, it will be unnecessary to have outside forms of government monitoring, judging, and if necessary, correcting my behavior.
Without my own conscience-driven internal government forming my adherence to a principled and precise moral code, an external government will be required to not only create those definitions of what is right and wrong (legislative), but to enforce them upon me (executive) and make sure that those who do the governing are doing so according to the rigid principles itself (judicial).
Self government cannot mean that we tailor-make our own rules or laws that apply uniquely to us. It means that we personally adhere to the standards that we expect of others, and if we all do so, we could create a society of peace and prosperity.
This Week
Using the Word of God as a basis, practice self-government and focus on doing “the right thing.”
Prayer
“Lord, I want to help create a society of peace and prosperity. May Your truth guide me internally to govern my actions with a godly conscience.”
This devotional comes from Mike Huckabee’s book Do The Right Thing. For more, visit MikeHuckabee.com.
