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Introduction

Good governance is as needful as food and drink. Human beings do not live in this world independently but as social groups. And as groups such as families and friends, unions or clubs, and societies or communities, as well as the nations in this world, it is important to have good governance over these groups of people for their joy to be full. According to scriptures, good governance is associated with the reign of the righteous. This assertion is briefly discussed briefly in this material.

The Reign of the Righteous 

 “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn” (Pro 29:2).

In order to properly understand the above scripture, it is needful to approach it with open-mindedness and understand the meaning of the `righteous` as used here. Righteous is but not limited to believing in God or expressing faith in Christ Jesus. According to Webster, the term righteous includes:

Just: “Regular, orderly, due, or suitable”. The original Hebrew and Greek words for ´just´ and ´justice´ are the same as those described as ´righteousness´ (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia). Any king, irrespective of his faith, if he faithfully judges the poor, his throne shall be established forever (Pro 29:14). What God expects a ruler to do is not a mere confession of his or her faith but a commitment to mercy and truth (Psa 72:4). Scriptures say that justice and judgment are more acceptable to God than sacrifices (Pro 21:3) because they are the habitation of His throne, and that mercy and truth are before Him (Psa 89:14).

Equitable: “conforming exactly to the laws, and to principles of rectitude in social conduct, equitable in the distribution of justice”. It could be stated that it is very probable to have a non-believer who is committed to enforcing the laws and ensuring equitable distribution of resources than a Christian. A non-believer who knows the laws and is ready to make sure they are enforced would give equal right to all people to practice their faith.

Merited: This means deserved. I would consider it prudent to vote for a person who is adequately trained and experienced to govern our nation than giving the mandate to a naïve and incompetent Christian.

 It is possible to have some Christians who fulfill the above qualities and God would be happy to see them on the thrones. However, not all Christians deserve to be in authority because of their incompetence. On the other hand, it is probable to have non-Christians who exhibit the above attributes and could, therefore, make their electorates rejoice.

Of course, the Bible has given its standards for the choice of leaders in the church (2Ti 3:1-16, Tit 1:7), it is different when it comes to national politics. As citizens, we must be circumspect in choosing our leaders. The faith of the person as a Christian is not sufficient to be given our mandate to govern.

Submission to Higher Powers

In this present world, God does not expect all the world leaders to be Christians but He charges all believers to submit to the authority of the world leaders. Everyone who disregards and resists their power resists the ordinance of God because they are the ministers of God. Also, they are revengers place in authority to execute wrath upon the evildoers and praise those who do good (Rom 13:1-5).

One may argue that if the person in authority is not a Christian, there is the likelihood that s/he may introduce policies that may take the hearts of people from God. But if that happens, the ruler fails to be just, equitable and merited and so ceases to qualify as a righteous ruler. Citizens must have the opportunity to freely express their faith under any authority.

Conclusion

People´s Christian faith does not automatically qualify them to bear a rule. They must be tested and approved to be righteous: just, equitable and merited. It is wise to vote for a non-believer who is more qualified to govern than to vote for incompetent Christians.

Prayer: God, give us the wisdom and the knowledge required of us to successfully lead our people and bring them joy. In the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord. AMEN!

Introduction

It has been chronicled in our previous newsletters that food, as a basic need, is very necessary for the survival, growth, and development of mankind. However, ´love´ cannot be left out if one needs to talk about basic human needs or ingredients required for normal human growth and development.

God´s love: our perfect example

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Joh 3:16).

The love of God was manifested towards us in that He sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him (1Joh 4:9). It is God who first loved us and sent His only son to be the propitiation for our sins (1Joh 4:10). Jesus came to die for the sinful world. We were sinful but the Lord expressed practical love towards us. He gave all that He had for our salvation and deliverance. John writes that our love should not be mere words but in deed and in truth (1Joh 3:18). This is the kind of love that God expects His children to demonstrate toward one another. In his admonishment, John writes: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1Joh 4:11).

Loving God, thy Neighbor and Thyself

God expects us to love him deeply but He also takes delight in seeing a genuine love for one another. In their discourse,

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mat 22:37-39, Mar 12:30-31).

The truth is that we cannot claim to love God and hate or dislike our fellow man. The scripture says that if a man says s/he loves God but hates his fellow brethren, s/he is a liar because we cannot love God who we do not see, and hate persons with whom we live (1Joh 4:20). We must be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love (Luk 10:27). Brotherly love must continue (Heb 13:1), and it should be extended to servants and maids (Exo 21:5), our families (Exo 21:5, Eph 5:25, 28), strangers (Lev 19:34, Deut 10:19) and our enemies (Mat 5:43-44, Luk 6:32, 35) as well as returning same to those who love us (Pro 8:17). We must be constrained by the love of Christ (2Co 5:14) to love those who are different from us.

The perfect law: loving unconditionally

God loved us even while we were yet sinners (Rom 5:8) but not when we were good people. We are being charged to love unconditionally with the kind of love with which Christ loves us. The word of God commands us to love each other with the love of Christ (Joh 13:35, Joh 15:12, 17). It is by loving one another that the world sees that we are indeed the disciples of Christ (Joh 8:31). The command to love God and each other is both a renewed and an old age one to all believers (1Joh 3:11, 23, 2Joh 1:5).

Love: the fulfillment of the law

Laws, in themselves, are not sufficient to transform people and the world. People know the consequences of stealing, murder, and adultery among others but they continue in those things and get punished for that. It is not the law that transforms lives but the power of love. There is nothing greater than love. In it is the embodiment of the law. Paul writes:

“Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom 13:8-10).

By implication, the above scripture tells us that the problems in the world are due to the fact that most of our leaders do not have the love of God. Protectionism, selfishness, greed, and corruption do not come out of love, and they are those that lead to the suffering of many humans. It is, therefore, important that we instruct our children in the way of God´s love so that when they grow up they would not depart from it.

Charity begins at home

The home must be the first teaching place of God´s love because it is the primary agent of socialization of the child. It is commonly said that charity begins at home but I think that if charity means love, then, this statement is sometimes misunderstood. We should commit ourselves to teach our family members to love themselves, each other and their physical world. If this is done, the rate of wickedness and insensitivity in our societies would be reduced.

Children must be made to feel loved and affectionate. They also need to be appropriately disciplined to inculcate love in them. God says that those He loves He rebukes and chastens them (Rev 3:19) because open and plain rebuke is better than secret love (Pro 27:5). It is equally relevant to give love to our children as we give them food.

Conclusion

Bread is important for every human being but love is a virtue that must be given to all people and help our children to develop it.

Prayer: Dear Lord God, we ask you for the grace to love you more, to love ourselves and one another as well as our world in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord. AMEN!