It’s a pretty inflammatory title, I know.
Here’s what happened. First, I ended up neglecting to vote for President Trump in 2016. I wasn’t paying much attention to things at the time, and I didn’t yet realize I was conservative on many issues (theologically and politically). So, the wife and I wrote in a third party candidate. Election night was fun though!
I spent the next five years listening to podcasts and watching youtube videos about politics, culture, and Christianity’s relevance to the two of these things. I was benefitted by what I listened to, and I still believe many of the things I heard in those five years. Ideally though, I wouldn’t have had to learn them from men across the country. A local church should be sufficient for those conversations, but sometimes, the local church falls short.
Once we had a President Biden instead of a President Trump, I slowly began to realize something: I should worry about what I CAN control, instead of spending all my time worrying about what I CAN’T control. What could I learn from any news station or website that would help me be a better father, husband, or teacher? Nothing. That’s the conclusion I came to. They offered me nothing. They received more ad revenue because I watched and listened; I got a bunch of information that was of no use to me at all.
This was one of the most liberating things that’s happened to me. I found that I was carrying a lot of stress around because of the national (or global) news scene. Why carry all that stress if you can’t take any action toward change? The best argument I can think of is specific prayer – which is true. Though, when your leaders are who we have, most of the prayers are centered around them seeing their sin, repenting of it, and trusting in Christ as Savior.
But Mr. Klunick! You’ll miss out on things that are happening in the world.
No I won’t. If someone wants to talk about something, they bring it up. I then say, “Oh wow, tell me more about that.” Boom, I will hear all I need to know about that thing from their perspective, enough to engage with them on it. I receive more time in my day, every single day, but I still hear all the news I need to know.
So, dear reader, if you are feeling the weight of things you can’t control, maybe do away with worrying about those things. Does God want you spending time on things that you CAN control, or things that you CAN’T control? For me, the answer is plain.
Mr. Klunick Tutoring 