Legislators cannot produce the kind of deep-seated shift that is necessary to put our economic house in order. We cannot fix the fundamental problem by passing laws. Laws don't change hearts.
This does not mean we should not enact good laws. We must. But something much deeper must also take place.
The desire to embrace God's ways in the marketplace does not come naturally to the human heart. It comes from a supernatural work of God's grace.
This work of God's grace produces a compelling love for the One who made us. Without this love, obeying the Lord can easily turn into dead religion, with a burdensome list of rules to keep.
This was a pitfall the ancient Hebrews fell into. But the gift Jesus gave us for keeping this from happening lies in sharing the life of the Holy Spirit, like a vine and branch sharing the same sap.
As a result, we love the Person, not just the Book.
It isn't just about "doing the right thing." It's about loving the right Person.
When we love the right Person, we'll do the right thing. It's the horse that pulls the cart.
Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind...and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets."
If we truly love the Lord, we will love the things He loves. If we love Christ, we will keep His commandments because we want to. If we truly love people, we will gladly behave rightly toward them.
Where does this "want to" come from? It comes from God Himself! We can't crank it up by our own will power.
It is God who gives us the will and the desire to do His good pleasure. See http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%202:13&version=NKJV (Philippians 2:13).
This unmerited grace generates the kind of workplace behavior that is "right"--in a naturally supernatural way.
This is what the saving life of Christ is about, and this is what America isn't getting.
In the long run, it is the only hope for our economy--and everything else.
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