Overcoming Election Year Frustration
It‘s an election year. That means months of promises from people who want you to vote for them. Whether you are listening to a candidate for school board, city council, or the presidency it’s all the same. Vote for me and I will do right what the previous elected official did wrong. I am your hope.
It’s the same speech. As old as it gets however I am surprised that people continue to fall for this rhetoric. Many people put faith in them as if they are going to deliver on their campaign promises. Yes few have, however a majority of the populace ends up frustrated years later when the reality hit that not much changed.
I would like to offer several nuggets of wisdom here. These suggestion will go far to help you live a good life and not be disappointed by politicians.
Always participate in the election process. People of all races have struggled and died so you can have a right to participate in the process of electing people to serve in office. Their sacrifice should not be wasted.
Never place too much faith in any man for your future. I hear people expressing that their candidate is the right man or woman to solve our problems. Placing your hope in someone else’s to the extent people are doing today is frightening.
I will guarantee you that whoever ends up in office, eventually they will disappointed someone.
You can control your own destiny. I think we have forgotten this reality. Regardless who is in office I will do well. And so can you. For most people the major concern is economic survival. Understand economic well-being is less dependent on who our president, congressmen or council members are and more on whether you make wise or unwise decisions.
The wise man understands that only a tiny number of people gain instant wealth and no longer have to worry about financial security. The rest of society must deal with the situation they find themselves in. How you respond will determine whether you are wise or foolish.
The wise man lives within his means. In other words if he makes a hundred dollars he only spend eighty dollars. He does not live a one hundred twenty dollar life style on one hundred dollars worth of income. I see this as the number one reason why people are in serious debt today.
Wise people understand that to stay within that wise limit of living they must adjust their priorities. Their lives must always operate from what they can afford not the lifestyle they desire or the one the Jones’s are living. A wise man constantly adjusts his life keeping his household living within their means. That calls for sacrificing and doing without some of life’s pleasures. In the end the peace of financial freedom will far outweigh what you do not have.
The bible declares that “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses”. We need to learn that fulfillment in life is not determined by what we have or where we live.
The wise man learns to save. The bible uses the ant as an example. During the summer ants will gather food and take it into a store house underground. In good times they don’t eat everything. They gather and save because they know winter is coming. For the ant winter is not the time to gather, but to nestle in below the surface and eat from the stored food.
We all experience times where we get extra income. What do you do with the extra, overtime, gifts, income tax returns, etc.? Do you put it aside for the winter of your lives? Unfortunately so many people simply look for more things to spend this windfall on.
The wise man places his faith in God ultimately for his future. My favorite scripture in this area is Matthew 6:33 This scripture says “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you”. In short live your life for God and devote your time promoting the work of his church. Seek to do what is right according to God’s word on a daily bases. The promise is that all these things will be added unto you. What things? Read Matthew 6:19-34
Utilizing this wisdom you will be able to live a good life regardless who is in office.
