May 7, 2010
Saving the Soul of A Nation
Saving the Soul of A Nation By Dan Solomon Nations have come and gone down through the years. Some nations or tribes have stayed in existence for thousands of years, while others have become extinct before the year 200. So many nations have left a mark in our history. One must entertain the thought, is it fate or a pattern that keeps a nation from fading away? Out of love, one must be willing to sacrifice in order to keep the nation vibrant. If we can look at a nation as a membership, each member plays an important role in determining the longevity of that nation. All members contribute in a positive or negative way, which in turn causes a positive or negative reaction.A nation can have a soul of love, war, hate, caring, peace, domination, controversy, consumption, conservation, exploration, contamination, conquering, knowledge, good, evil, and or expression. A nation can be known for many things, the thing that dominates normally determines its impact and or longevity.As you ponder the condition of the soul of your nation, you can make a difference in a positive or negative way. Positive things may lead to harmony, negative things may lead to dysfunction, however in the short term you may not see the results. Leadership: All levels of leadership play an important role in the state of the soul of that nation. The masses sometimes follow the temperaments of leaders. Leaders don't have to be perfect, but should have integrity, sincerity, and a love and concern for all of the people that come under that position. Leaders should maintain a vision or goal that will keep the people inspired and reaching for higher heights. The power of influence should be used to promote a quest for beneficial achievements. The protection of children: The protection of the children is vital in maintaining a healthy soul of a nation. In protecting the children, that nation is saying it cares about its future. By not sacrificing the children, the nation can live for another day. Loving and caring for the young produces life for the nation. Keeping a certain focus on the children brings a certain level of unity. Education: Knowledge is a very powerful tool, which can lead to creativity. Education can lead to creativity, innovations, and self-sufficiency., which provides for a sense of hope. Gaining more knowledge can lead to hope. People maintaining knowledge of the past, present, and future promotes a mind set that all things are possible. Drawing from the knowledge of the past provides track records on failures and successes. Caring for the poor: In caring for the poor, it may not be as important as to how they got there, but will help be available if someone happens to find themselves in that state. Protecting the poor is vital for a nation to have a healthy soul. Providing the poor with fair prices for goods, services, and interest rates helps prevents hopelessness. Keeping the poor out of a state of hopelessness lowers the crime rates. Lower crime rates help the economy and make it a pleasure to live in that nation. The poor will sense love and concern when treated fairly, knowing that it would be difficult to repay the deeds in the same respect. Reducing violence: People who have not been victimized by crime can maintain a glass of innocence. Maintaining wholesomeness may be more of a challenge for those who were victims of crimes. Less violence says that the nation's soul is healthy. Providing people with a sense of justice and equality can lead to less violence. Providing positive outlets and opportunities can be a deterrent for boredom and hopelessness. Boredom, hopelessness, poor morals, anger, and or scarcity are key factors for most violence, becoming creative to remove these factors is key. The strength of a belief in God: The strength of that nation's God or higher power plays a key role in the health of the soul of that nation. What people believe causes them to act and react in positive or negative ways. Nations with strong beliefs in God are likely to achieve healthy souls due to a reverential fear of their God. Having a Higher Authority to give an account to tends to lead to caution in those nations actions. Strong belief in a God leads people to love, which promotes healthy souls. The nations that follow the positive characteristics of their God will normally promote harmony, growth, and prosperity. Good moral standards: With members of that nation doing the right things, it leads to a healthy soul. Good moral standards will not allow members to hurt and use one another, which lead to conditions of peace for that nation. Treating others fairly and respectfully promotes environments of trust and hope, which leads to having a healthy nation. Following these key factors consistently and continually will save the soul of a nation. We do have the power to change the things that don't promote a healthy soul. There is power in the unity of the majority as well as the minority. Promoting a healthy soul is each member's responsibility to each other. Dan Solomon is the author of The Price of Favor WWWJS. Dan has served as deacon, church trustee, Bible study and adult Sunday school teacher for his church in addition to director of a ministry for boys, missionary president, and head of prayer warrior's group. He and his wife Shirley are the parents of two sons and live in Warner Robins, GA. For more information visit www.thepriceoffavorwwwjs.com . Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.

Posted by Staff at 1:36 AM