Now that we’re a few weeks in, President Trump is like the host who’s closed the bar at Washington’s decade-long party (and being blamed for the hangovers). The whining and dishonesty is embarrassing to watch; and the people claiming to represent us are busy with self-preservation. I’ve thought about many things over recent months leading up to the election and after, but here are a few things that keep coming to mind:

• First, a Representative Republic is hard work. I’m convinced more than ever that the Founding Fathers were brilliant and constructed something amazing under God’s guidance. However, the tough part is, longevity requires due-diligence of the citizens. Only “we the people” can hold ourselves and our leaders accountable. Let’s get honest, Washington has been working for itself for years. As Christians, we have an obligation to take an interest, to speak biblical truth, and defend the founding principles that made our country great.
• Second, the Federal Treasury can’t pay for everything. Have you ever thought about how much a trillion dollars really is? That’s how much we’re over-spending each year. That’s not the budget, but how much we borrow each year to cover spending beyond the budget. You may say, well I’m not the one over-spending, it’s Washington. True, it’s their actual votes that appropriate money, but our expectations are high when it comes to federal grants, subsidies, social programs, and refunds. If we’re to ever get the spending-spree in check, we’ll have to expect them to prioritize the role of the federal treasury (even when it reduces the size of a popular program).
• Third, we must teach “consequences” again. A generation has come of age believing life should cater to their every desire. The problem is, the “real world” didn’t get the memo. Choices have consequences. In generations past, it was an understood reality, and they worked/made decisions accordingly. For those of us raising children (or grandparents influencing children), we must do the tough part of teaching this principle. In other words, adults don’t ask for “safe spaces”, they saddle-up and get to work.

Yes, the elites are having a tough time getting things “back to normal”, but my prayer is that it never returns to what was “normal”. We’ve been on a path toward irrelevancy in the world, and I’m not ashamed to say that the world needs us to be Americans and lead. A solid, secure America is more benevolent in charitable giving around the globe, a stronger light for freedom and a job-creating machine for those seeking to better themselves. That’s our heritage. Let’s start expecting that for our future too.