Politics will always be a rough-and-tumble business with heated debates and strong emotions. However, if you’re going to engage in political discussion (and you should as a steward of the country), you must be prepared to take advantage of any situation which presents itself.
Here’s an example of an unforced error, as a Tea Party person received some one-on-one time with the President.
President Obama got into a heated back-and-forth Monday with a Tea Party activist who demanded to know at the end of a town hall meeting here whether Vice President Biden had called Tea Partiers “terrorists” during the debt ceiling debate on Capitol Hill.
Obama did say he would discuss the matter further with Rhodes, founder of the Iowa Tea Party, after the event. And the duo was spotted in an animated conversation a few moments later.
Let’s suppose you got some time with the President — is this the single issue you’d bring up? The most important? We hope not.
In tennis you’d call this an unforced error — opportunity wasted.
The Political Side
Politics is serious stuff, and if the Tea Party wants to play with the big boys, it’s time to grow up, and rule number one is: when you get time with the President, be prepared and get to the big issues.
What did anyone expect the President to say: “Yes he said it, and I agree, so tough on you”. Really? When backed into a corner, a politician reverts to his nature: deny, deflect, and obfuscate (confuse).
If you’re going to play big-boy games, you’d better bring your “A” game. That means be prepared, avoid logical errors, learn how to discuss and debate, and be polite and civil.
The Practical Side — Lessons to Learn
Be prepared to take advantage of every available opportunity — thus you must be prepared for opportunities when they present themselves, or as has been said “The harder I practice, the luckier I get” (quote attributed to many people) and be bold when doors open — don’t make unforced errors by wasting opportunities.
Preparedness takes work, so bring your lunch-box and hard-hat, roll up your selves, and get ready, as Paul reminds us in the armor of God to “gird your loins”, which means be prepared for action and movement. It’s time to step up to the majors. You can do it.
Ready to Get Started?
Walter Martin spoke on “The Baptism of Boldness”. For those who can’t watch the video, here’s a small excerpt:
We’re suffering from an endemic disease. This disease in the Christian world is known by its Latin name, non-rock-a-boatus. What it really means is, “Whatever you do, don’t rock the boat.” The cure for this disease is a baptism of boldness.
… You may be thinking, “You seem pretty uptight about this, Dr. Martin.” And I am, because we need to get rid of this non-rock-a-boatus mentality that is so prevalent in this country. The apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4:2 doesn’t hesitate to talk about the things that concern him. He says, “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead and is appearing in his kingdom, preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”
Do you know there are Christians running around today waiting for a convenient moment to “preach the word” that never comes? And the reason it never comes is because God doesn’t care about convenience; God cares about obedience. So you preach the Word, whether it’s convenient or inconvenient, “in season” or “out of season.”