Complain In One Hand. Work With The Other. See Which Gets Full Faster

Complain In One Hand. Work With The Other. See Which Gets Full Faster.

By Craig M. Szwed

Back in the late Nineteen-Sixties, an Army buddy told me one of his dad’s favorite sayings. I won’t quote its original worldly content, but, as you can see from the title of this article, its inherently wise principle has helped me explain many things to many people.

As I publish comments about unconstitutional attacks on our Civil Rights, I get feedback and emails from well-intended people who use a lot of angry name calling, complaining, and finger pointing about the ongoing attacks against our constitutional Rights. Also, I get frustrated, fearful, and apathetic comments, as well as comments from people who feel that their only option is to try to find a ‘safe’ place to hide, as if this current civil rights war were a summer shower that will soon blow past, even though it has been going on for over eighty to one hundred years.

While I understand the worldly, fleshly fears and outpouring of anger, about infringements against our Rights, yet, not one of those bits of angst will fix anything that is wrong with our State or our Nation. Why won’t anger and name calling work? Because the powers-that-be do not care about anyone’s feelings, especially if the powers-that-be see us as emotional children throwing tantrums, or if they see us as unwilling to personally risk our own lives and fortunes in support of our civil rights. They especially do not care about us if we are unwilling to work for the cause, the candidates, and to speak out and vote against the existing unconstitutional powers.

All our emotional roller-coaster rides are worthless, especially IF we are not willing to put our lives where our mouths say we want to be. We cannot expect anyone else to do what we are unwilling to do. IF “we, the People” are not willing to stick out our own necks, to risk our own reputations and our own fortunes, for what we claim to believe, then politicians and public officials are seldom, if ever, going to risk anything on behalf of us, or on behalf of our Constitution, irrespective of their oath of office.

The Bible tells Christians, “…be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). Likewise, “We, the People” have to stop deceiving ourselves about our responsibilities. We must get off our haunches and do the necessary work. We need to get out of our hiding places and into the battles. We need to actively and openly engage in our constitutional responsibilities. Every constitutionally positive thing that we do is a good light that exposes and pushes back the darkness of those who fight against our Rights. “We, the People” must actively and openly oppose the unconstitutional actions of those who seek to destroy our Constitution, our Nation, and our freedoms.

All our name calling, that we throw at our detractors, and all our whining, about entitlements to our freedoms, are useless. Those who are working unconstitutionally do not care about honor, respect, our Constitution, or about “we, the People”. People who are working to destroy our Rights do NOT care about the personally accountable citizenship to which our Constitution calls U.S. citizens. Our Constitution makes it plain that working to defend our Constitution and freedoms is the responsibility of every citizen of these United States of America. Any among us who speaks or acts contrary to our Constitution and our freedoms (whether by action or by apathy), puts into motion the Bible principle that when we know right from wrong, but we fail to do right, that, too, is sin (James 4:17).

So, what shall we do? Jesus said to His disciples, “…he that is not against us is for us” (Luke 9:50). That’s great when people agree with us! It’s even better when they pitch in and help us do the work! As in the Bible, our Constitution has very specific language about many things that are intended to respectively limit and unfetter our lives, for our own benefit, and all of those strictures and liberalities acknowledge and demand that we take personal responsibility for our actions. Therefore, as those who oppose the language of the Word of God are against God and His followers, so, also, those who oppose the language of our Constitution are against our Constitution and its supporters and defenders. There is no neutral ground that allows for fear or apathy as an excuse for not fulfilling our constitutional duties, as U.S. citizens. There is no ‘safe’ place to hide to escape what God says or what our Constitution says. Delusion and denial may be popular, but are not safe places to hide, either. Let’s be honest with ourselves and get busy doing what we are supposed to do biblically and constitutionally.

We must all stop our negative emotional churning and venting, replacing our angry, vengeful name calling with positive outreach. We need to show our opponents our life-changing, self-risking, self-exposure and commitment to the cause that we say we believe in. If we spent even half as much time working constructively on our pro-Rights cause, as we do lamenting how awful things are, then we could effect some tremendous changes, for the better, all around us. Let’s not get bogged down in self-destructive emotionally-driven turmoil and inaction that play into the hands of those who fight against our Constitution and our Rights. Our State and Federal Constitutions are documents about actions, not lethargy or apathy, so let’s get busy. 

How can we work effectively?

1.     Join one or more active pro-Rights groups that are financially transparent. Responsible groups will welcome your interest in their fiscal accountability.

2.     Donate financially to the groups you join. Pro-Rights groups cannot tackle educational, legislative, and legal challenges without financial backing from members. Give wisely and generously. Ask yourself, and God, prayerfully, where your money will make the most positive impact.

3.     Volunteer, and act, in concert with the groups you join. Don’t wait for them to do the work for you.

4.     Make suggestions to your groups. Groups that really want to work on the issues will welcome your responsible participation, workmanship, and your suggestions.

5.     Do NOT wait for your group to come up with ideas for you to work on, but be aware of what battles are being fought and get involved in one or more, as you are able. Advise your group of what you are doing. Your reports will encourage others.

6.     Be willing to be available and used as part of your group’s team effort.

7.     Write, call, fax, email your public officials about the relevant issues. Be respectful. Be accurate. Be brief and to-the-point about what you expect of the officials, and why you expect them to see things your way. As the old bumper sticker said, “When the people lead, the leaders will follow.”

8.     Never be ashamed of the Bible, Jesus Christ, or our State or Federal Constitution. If you really believe in those, do not hesitate to respectfully cite your faith and convictions.

9.     Never be afraid to hold public officials accountable for their words and actions. They occupy their offices under oath, and are there to serve, not to dictate to, our State and Federal Constitutions.

10. Remember that every change must start with each of us as individual citizens. If I, as an individual citizen, am not willing to repent and allow God to bring my life more into submission to His biblical plan for my life, and more in tune with our State and Federal Constitutions, then I cannot reasonably expect our government or the officials thereof to return to godly living and constitutional government. Godly repentance, and reformation of our government, both start with me, a citizen, right here, right now.

My Army buddy’s dad said it a lot more crudely, but, …complain in one hand, and work with the other, then see which proves more effective in restoring our Rights.