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A Letter To Barack Obama

A Letter To Barack Obama

Last updated on: November 7, 2012 at 9:00 am by Josh Daffern

A Letter To Barack Obama 2012-11-07T09:00:12-06:00 Josh Daffern

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Dear Mr. President,

Although I did not vote for you, I will support you as my president. I understand that you bear a greater and deeper burden then most Americans could ever fathom. In and of itself, the presidency is a responsibility too great for any one man. The time for politicking and posturing is now over. The people have spoken. It is time to put away what divides us and come together around what unites us.

As a follower of Christ, I am commanded repeatedly throughout the New Testament to honor those in positions of authority (1 Pet. 2:13-14, 1 Tim. 2:1-2, Acts 23:26, Acts 24:2, 1 Pet. 2:17, Rom. 13:7). While ‘honoring’ does not mean blanket endorsement, it does mean I am to honor and show proper respect for those God has put in places of authority. While we’ll never agree on contentious issues such as abortion (you support a woman’s right to choose, I support a child’s right to live), that does not give me license to dishonor you. To do so would be to dishonor the God who is Sovereign over all things.

My vote was not determined by geography, race, political party, or religious affiliation. My overriding concern in the election was economic. I fear that the entitlements we are enjoying now are crippling the economic future for my three young boys. We cannot sustain the levels of spending and debt that we are currently employing. If we cannot get our economic house in order, then our future is grim.

Please don’t get sucked into the partisan nature of politics that have polarized Washington and poisoned our faith in the governmental system. The toxic nature of Washington politics have paralyzed the political process and made it nearly impossible for any worthwhile to be accomplished. Rather than using your moment in power to score political points, please use your position of influence to show both Democrats and Republicans how to rise above petty politics and serve the greater (long-term) interests of this nation.

Although I don’t agree with the idea of higher taxes to enable a lifestyle that erodes a strong work ethic, I will gladly pay my taxes, whatever they are. Thankfully, I learned a long time ago that ‘my’ money isn’t really my money. It’s God’s. He just lets me play with it for awhile. Take what you want; my God has and will continue to provide for me.

I will commit to pray for you as a husband, father, and leader of our country. I will pray that your marriage to Michelle will stay strong and that you will love and honor her as your wife. I will pray that you will continue to be a strong and involved parent to Sasha and Malia, knowing how important it is for girls to have a loving father in their lives. And I’ll pray that God will continue to grant you wisdom, discernment, and courage to be a great leader for our country.

Sincerely,

Josh Daffern

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A Faith Of Our Own: Following Jesus Beyond the Culture Wars, by Jonathan Merritt

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