The Advantage of a Government Shutdown!

Are there any advantages to a government shutdown? I know that sounds like a weird question when government shutdowns cause so much difficulty, uncertainty and chaos. How can something so disturbing to normal life have any good to offer? Yet, I still believe there are powerful lessons that can be learned from such a national crisis.

In the United States, a government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass or the President refuses to sign appropriations bills (budget) into law. That is legislation that will basically fund federal government operations and agencies for the fiscal year. This is actually the 21^st government shutdown in our national history! So, when was the last time a budget was passed in Congress? In the four decades since the current system for budgeting and spending has been in effect, Congress only managed to pass required appropriations bills four times! In fiscal 1977 (the first full fiscal year under the current system), 1989, 1995 and 1997. This is a record of gross failure.

What is the longest government shutdown? There was a long U.S. federal government shutdown in 1995–96. The 16-day-long shutdown of October 2013 was the third-longest government shutdown in U.S. history, after the 18-day shutdown in 1978 and the 21-day 1995–96 shutdown. So, 21 days was the longest in our national history before the 2018/2019 shutdown of 35 days. Will the next shutdown set a new record? Concerning....

Let me say with brilliant clarity I am an American Patriot. I have served my country for more then 13 years on Active Duty and as a civilian. I have visited and lived in many other countries, but I love these United States of America more than any. I am loyal to our republic and the three-branch system with checks and balances of power. I am NOT advocating for either party, and I mean NO disrespect to any elected officials! Unfortunately, the main news outlets seem to be content to merely assign blame...much like the two parties. I will not play that deceptive game or fall prey to their spin machines! Their antics only skew the real issues or leave them unaddressed altogether. If we are merely pointing fingers of blame, then we have been thoroughly duped by the mainstream media. Beware!

If we are asking questions like “Who is responsible for the government shutdown?” we are asking the wrong questions and giving the power to the wrong people. It is not that responsible individuals or parties are insignificant, but there is a far more pressing question. A better question would be, “What am I learning from this and other government shut downs?” I think a few things are obvious…. The government, our elected leaders, are not doing their jobs of leading and finding solutions that satisfy the requirements of law and the needs of the American people. Its not the Democrats or the Republicans fault! Its not a party issue primarily, but a failure of our elected officials to do their jobs…. There is a difference; pointing the finger of blame to another person or party is often a ploy to evade careful scrutiny. As a result ineptitude goes undetected...unexposed...continues in office while doing next to nothing. 

These offices and positions require working together (reaching across the else) to secure real solutions and not merely taking obstructionists positions to halt viable corrective measures. Both political parties are more concerned with their party (legacy, power, re-election, image) and not with the best courses of action for the country--the American people. Further it is a failure of the American people to hold them accountable at the polls. These are the leaders we elected and re-elected again and again, and they fail the country repeatedly. There is a formula for insanity analogy looming large presently.... We can make a difference at the polls. There is much more I could say here, but I must refrain.   

So, the advantage of the shutdowns is that they demonstrate in a punctuated manner that our elected officials on both sides of the isle are not representing the interests of the American people. The point here is not merely to assign blame…that solves NOTHING! My aim is to reaffirm where the real power is and to recognize the opportunities before us. The real crisis is not the shutdown, but the fact that we tolerate such failures from our elected officials. The shutdowns only reveal a much larger cancer eating away at the very fibers of our Republic. Beloved, this much should be extremely evident.  The question is, what are we going to do about it?

Well, what can I do? You can fall to your knees in prayer crying out to Almighty God to deliver us from such ineptitude and narcissism among national leaders. You can pray for a spirit of cooperation in Congress and a revived interest in the will of God for our nation. You could pray to God for national revival among real believers across the nation that will impact our views, values and abilities to influence the country for God’s glory. You can write your congressmen and express your concerns in a civil and respectful manner. Not merely complaining but offering workable solutions that could benefit the country as a whole. You could also vote intelligently in local, state, and national elections inviting the Spirit of God to lead you in these civil duties. You could also become the Daniel, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, or Ezekiel of our times. All of these godly leaders influenced godless governments and leaders for the glory of God! Yes, I am saying the power is still with you and me to make a real difference in our national life. In the middle of all this despair...I want you to see that God is our hope, and He gave us a potent promise. “If my people which are called by My Name….” Once again, what are we going to do about it?