The battle for extending the Bush tax cuts starts today. While I am not wanting to turn this devotional blog into a political opinion column, doesn’t common sense dictate that eventually we are going to have to pay higher taxes? All economists agree on this one thing: our grandchildren will have a huge debt (in the form of enormous taxes) if we don’t stop spending “their” money. Not taxing ourselves now only delays the inevitable. But no one is willing to sacrifice their comfort.
A spirit of sacrifice existed during World War II that is conspicuously absent today. Sugar, butter, meat, cheese, eggs, milk, tea, chocolate, clothes, rubber, and gasoline were all rationed (willingly) in order to aid the war effort. But Stanford University historian David M. Kennedy says, "We are now waging war on the cheap, and not asking much either materially or psychologically from the society at large." But if war costs and casualties grow, Kennedy wonders "will the public be prepared to embrace a spirit of sacrifice at home" in the form of higher taxes or economic restrictions. "I'd surely bet against it," he said.
I can’t help but wonder how much this age of narcissist entitlement is affecting our spiritual warfare mentality? Are we trying to "wage war on the cheap," with as little cost to our comfort as possible? Do we have the spirit of sacrifice? Will we still be picking up our cross and following Jesus when it hurts? When it's messy? Are we prepared to embrace the spirit of sacrifice? Jesus said when you go to war, you need to consider the cost (Luke 14:31).
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