'I know I'm going to lose this election! Please don't give the new government a large majority!' For the whole week leading to Queensland's election last Saturday, our premier repeated her mantra every time a reporter questioned her.
We live in strange times! I've never heard another politician speak of defeat before the polls. Anna Bligh was waving the white flag, surrendering, giving up. There was still enough time for this Premier of Queensland to give us some positive reason to vote for her team, but she had fallen victim to fatalism. The history of elections dictated that the Labour party had survived past their use by date. They were due to be defeated. She had accepted it as 'fait accompli' before she even began. 'We defied gravity the last two elections. This one must be lost.'
Two days before we voted, the bookies closed their bets on the elections result, declared it a win to the opposition and paid out their punters . The writing was on the wall. Everyone knew, as she had declared, that they would be defeated.
Some years ago one of my many 'daughters' told me that she didn't have time to study for an exam. 'But that's okay. If God wants me to pass, I'll get through. If I fail I'll know I wasn't supposed to do this course.'
I became very angry. 'That is not faith! It is fatalism masquerading as faith.'
See faith is active. It pushes toward a goal with determination and against all odds. It never says 'Que sara, sara.' It pushes against what would normally happen on earth and brings the Kingdom of God into play.
Anna Bligh couldn't do that. As most of you would know, last weekend Queenslanders rushed to the polls and decimated her long standing government with a massive swing. Every one, regardless of political persuasion, is shocked. The Labour party, who held a comfortable majority, now occupies less than 7% of the seats.
So what happened? I'm not a political commentator but this much I know. We create our world with our words. Anna Bligh spoke her massive defeat into being. Behavioural scientist tell us that the human brain doesn't compute negative words. The voters, subconsciously, heard her say again and again. 'Give them a big majority'. And they did exactly that.
My 'daughter' recognised fatalism at work in her life, fought against the defeatism is spawned, and went on to achieve great scholastic results.
However, the Labour party, Australia wide, is still blinded by the lie. Tragically, they continue to blame history, timelines, and other factors for their defeat. As long as they can blameshift, they won't be able to face the truth behind the massacre and grasp its lessons.
The ancient Isrealites suffered from fatalism and it caused them to wander the dessert for forty years. In the face of giants, they fell victim to the belief that they were only grasshoppers in the giants' sight. Two men exercised faith. 'With God, we can defeat them.' But the nation believed the scientific evidence, lifting it to a level of worship above God. 'Our fate is settled!'
Even if the politicians can't learn the lesson we can. Let's root out fatalism from our lives and walk free, in faith exercising our right and ability to expect great things through our God. The good Book tells me that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I chose to put that truth above all other evidence.
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