Over the last few months, I’ve seen various social media comments that state something like this:

America has lost it’s mind because:

• People who say there’s no such thing as gender are demanding a female President
• Boys can compete with girls and win as long as they think they are girls
• Universities that advocate equality discriminate against Asian Americans in favor of African Americans
• Criminals are caught and released but stopping them while robbing stores is bad because it’s a violation of their rights
• One president demanded and got quid pro quo from Ukraine while another who suggests it is impeached
• Immigrants with TB and polio are welcome but Americans have to prove they are vaccinated from COVID-19 to keep their jobs
• Five billion dollars for border security is too expensive but one and a half trillion for free healthcare is not
• If you cheat to get your kid into college you go to prison, but if you cheat to get into the country you go to college for free

While we may debate some of these points, I think it is fair to say that our American liberal culture does seem to have lost its collective mind. What does the Bible have to say about this?

I think Paul addresses this in Romans 1:16-22a. He explained that believers in Jesus have the righteousness of God; revealing truth. Unfortunately, those whose ungodliness produces unrighteousness ultimately suppress truth. They are under the wrath of God. Without accepting Jesus, they are subject to their own artificially created righteousness which leads to depravity, sin and foolishness. Those who reject God and continue to reject Him, He gives over to their own lusts, impurity, dishonor. This is where Paul gets into the detail of the fruits of unrighteousness including sexual immorality of women with women and men with men (Romans 1:26-27). God also left them to exist with a “debased mind” so they would do whatever should not be done including evil, covetousness, malice, gossip, slander, hating God, insolence, pridefulness, boastfulness, inventors of evil, disobedience to parents, foolishness, faithlessness, heartlessness and ruthlessness. Most relevant to what we see now, Paul describes that, even though they know the fruits of this behavior is death, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them (Romans 1:28-32). One simple example of this is PRIDE month; celebrating and honoring the debasement of men, women and children.

This behavior is not unique to our country today, but was also symptomatic of Christians during Paul’s time who lost their way and rejected God. Even though Paul is describing the God-rejecting people of his time, it sounds like he is giving a sermon about today. There’s nothing new to see here but something we must learn about from history. We must not reject God and his son Jesus Christ or just look around to see the consequences.

So what should we learn from this? I learn that I should not look to this world for hope. There are wonderful, righteous Christians around me and I am grateful to God for them, but I cannot expect the worldly systems to change unless they accept Jesus. I tend to get angry or overwhelmingly sad when I see such injustice and foolishness from the media, political leaders, Olympics, even some Church leaders. Anger won’t help. My job is to help them to see Jesus as their only hope. No laws, policies, or regulations will help. The only solution is for them to turn to God and our savior Jesus Christ, repent from their sin and seek His face. “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14). That is a promise from God that will only come when WE (believers in God; not the unbelievers) call on Him, humble ourselves, pray and seek His face. He won’t respond with healing the land when we vote, boycott, protest, yell, get angry. No! He promises to respond when we humble ourselves and pray to Him.

That helps me SO MUCH. I pray it helps you, too.