Sacrifice

Alright, almost a year since the last post. I guess that I was not as dedicated to this whole blogging thing as I thought. I read a quote by Thomas Jefferson today "The worst day in a man's life is when he sits down and begins thinking about how he can get something for nothing." As I look at the world today, and see how there are so many people, agencies, and governments that get votes, customers, and friends by offering something for nothing I cannot feel the importace of that quote by Mr. Jefferson. The problem with the world today, is that individuals and societies are not willing to sacrifice and require others to do what is required in order to be prosperous. There is no way that a few will be able to support the many. The plan of our Heavenly Father and the founding fathers was not to have some do all, while the rest sit around and reap the rewards.
We can read in the bible the parable of the talents. While some used their talents to get more, others burried their talents in fear of loosing them altogether. What is the Saviors response. He rewarded those that used them and rebuked those that did not. We are to work, use our talents to support ourselves and our families. If we burry all that we have and let others tell us what our talents are, we are no better than those that were rebuked by Jesus. The founding fathers set up a government that required work. It has evolved into a government of fat pigs that sit up on a hill, and tell the rest of us what we need, how we should work, and getting to the point that what we shall do for work. I heard a sound bite on a liberal talk radio show last week that had a congressman say "there is nothing wrong offering healthcare substites to a family of four that earns $85,000.00 a year" Holy crap! A family of four that earn 85K a year is not in bad shape. According to our public officials, that is almost the poverty level. There is no way someone whith that small of an income could budget, sacrifice, and afford their own health care?
I am going to go back to the bible for a moment, and quote our Savior again. We are told that he rebuked the Pharisees for their false traditions and ceremonies by saying "This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." To many times I talk to people, those that do not like what is going on in the word today, and ask what they are willing to sacrifice to change it. Would you stop paying taxes as a revolt? Would you be willing to go to jail? Loose your home? Stop using credit cards? There are so many things that we can sacrifice to make a difference, but are we willing to do it? We fight the fight with our lips, but we do not put our hearts into the cause. I personally know people whom say that the country is being destroyed, but they are get food stamps, government insurance, unemployement, and other hand-outs. Free things that the government has for people who are willing to take it. Sometimes we take things from Big Brother, and not even know that we are doing it. What happend to a days work for a days wages? Reap what you sow?
Lets close with the quote from Thomas Jefferson again "The worst day in a man's life is when he sits down and begings thinking about how he can get something for nothing." We all have fallen on hard times. This economy will affect everyone in some capacity, but how we react to it will show the true measure of a person. Will we roll over and take what the government says that we "need"? Or will we roll up our sleaves, sacrifices a little, work hard, and get what we earn? I know where I stand, I know where I am going to take my life, and I know at the end, I will be able to look back and know that I never had a worst day because I tried to come up with the best way to get something for nothing.
-Scott