The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Lauren L. during the 2008-2009 League.
Mission: Research - Self-Government
Last Monday, I was flipping through the channels on my T.V. and I stopped at CNN. They were reporting that the government had created a 150 billion-dollar bailout plan to save AIG. Now, granted, this plan is necessary and wise, but if the bankers and the people saving their money at the bank had been a little bit wiser, this entire mess would have never existed.
Proverbs 25:28 tells us, "A person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls." A balanced, healthy country starts with balanced, healthy citizens. The state of our entire country, I believe, is to blame for irresponsible citizens. People are disgustingly overweight because they couldn't overcome the temptation to overeat. Young people are in tremendous amounts of debt because they spent their money on an expensive designer bag over paying off their college bills. Our country's morals are in decline thanks to the dependency on entertainment for a basis of values and beliefs. If each individual person were to look at themselves, stop, and really consider the choices that they are making, then our nation as a whole would be wiser and stronger.
Psalm 32:8-10 tells us, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." A lot of the reason that Barack Obama was elected for our next president is, I believe, because of his belief that the president needs to be a guide for the country. He showed this belief clearly through his plans to bring the country in order and people liked that. They wanted to be able to lean on someone firm. They saw hope in Barack Obama and they gave him their vote. In our culture today, we absolutely need a guide, but looking towards another human is not the right place. We need to look towards someone who is above the limits of what it is to be human. We need to be looking for a leader in Jesus Christ. His word is what made this country a united nation. His word is what will make our country united again.
2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." As humans, we have each been granted the power to make change and step-up. But thanks to the individual's laziness, we are now in crisis. If we really want to better our country, we first need to better ourselves. We need to look at ourselves, see our flaws and improve them. However, it can't be done alone. It can only be done through the strength of Christ.
If we are serious about getting our country on track, there are several things we have to do. We need to first realize that we can't find guidance and a strong foundation in other humans. Second, we need to examine our lives and cut out what is bringing us down. Finally, we need to use our strengths to better those around us. If we are looking towards a man, merely a human with human limits, then we are thoroughly unbalanced. The only way to create a healthier country is to create a healthier individual.
