Smile, South Africa belongs to God

[notice]A monthly column on purpose, passion and power in Jesus.[/notice]

South Africa belongs to God. I don’t know how many times I, and I’m assuming many others, forget this.

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One of my friends texted me the other day — I’d asked how she was — she briefly highlighted a few things that were going on in her life and then she said: “I think everyone feels the pressure with our current political situation.”

That sentence jolted me.

I was aware that we were having problems — I’d been following the headlines ever so nonchalantly — but I hadn’t realised that what was happening was affecting folks that much!

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As I pondered over what my friend had written to me — and thought of the struggles we’ve been through as a country — the current uncertainty in key areas of our Government’s leadership, the rand plunging to record lows this year, many families dealing with what feels like a recession, insanely high food prices and everyone dealing with the very real effects of the drought — it IS a trying season for us!

However, while I thought on these things, what I couldn’t shake was this sentence that kept playing repeatedly in my head: “South Africa belongs to God”.

Experiencing more of God’s goodness
As trying as our season may seem, I honestly and truly cannot help but be hopeful! Because I believe that it’s in this trying season that we are going to experience, on a much higher level, the goodness of our God.

As for the political landscape, I believe that our last elections showed that we are for more matured as a democracy than we think.

When the financial markets saw how we as a nation handled the opposition party taking over municipal leadership in some areas and how that was allowed to happen — uncontested, freely and fairly, our rand strengthened.

Gabon recently underwent elections. It’s widely believed the incumbent president may have rigged the elections — the opposition and its supporters demanded a recount — for days people in Gabon could not send or receive text messages on their mobile devices, the internet was shut down, there were protests… altogether not a pretty scene.

This is the reality of many African countries when it comes to elections. I wonder if we fully appreciate what we have in South Africa.

We should never underestimate the beauty of the democracy we currently enjoy.

Is it perfect? Maybe not.

Pray for our leaders
But I believe that this is where we as believers are going to have to walk the walk. And part of that is doing what the Bible instructs us to do — Pray for our leaders. Not condemn them. Not spend countless hours at our braais criticising them — but pray for them.

We as believers hold a lot more power regarding what happens to, and in, our nation than we realise.

There are some who get this, and they’re praying!

There are some folks predicting a horrible future for us, thinking we’re going to crash and burn. It’s not going to happen! Because, there are men and women, in tune with God’s heart for this nation, who are answering His call on their lives. They’re rising up in business, in the education system, in the field of Science and Technology, Media and YES they’re rising up in politics too!

Long before he joined politics, I remember interviewing now Jo’burg Mayor Herman Mashaba for my TV Show “Dream BIG”.

After I spoke with him I remember saying out loud, “Now that’s a leader I can believe in!”

His views on family, and what he believed God wanted for us as a nation was compelling.

And it’s not just him!

Meetings opened in prayer
One of my closest friends is rising up in leadership positions within the ANC. She tells me of their meetings being opened in prayer and God being made front and centre in the political circles she’s involved in.

What we see, what’s reported on, is not the whole picture.

There are some amazing things happening that don’t make it in the headlines simply because “The Gospel” doesn’t sell in mainstream news.

More of us need to answer God’s call on our lives. It’s the only way God’s will for this nation will materialise.

We have power far beyond what we’re releasing.

We need to release God who lives in us
South Africa needs us to release this God living on the inside of us.

Our response to this very trying time South Africa is going through has got to be Heaven’s response.

If our hope is pinned on which political party is in power, who runs our municipality, who our president or finance minister is- what the rand is doing or not doing- we are doomed!

Our hope cannot be in people or structures- our hope must be in our God.

I am so utterly convinced of this that I believe that where this country is headed is something we as believers are hugely accountable for.

May we release Jesus and His awesome Power.