by: Allen Domelle
This past week, there was a shockwave that hit the Republican Party when House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor, lost in the primary elections to a college economics professor, Dave Brat. This defeat was not even close by anyone’s admission. Congressman Cantor lost by an 11% point margin. This is a landslide victory!
This should not have even been a close race. Congressman Cantor spent $5 million to Dave Brat’s $122,000.00. Normally, when there is that much discrepancy in spending, the one outspent doesn’t stand a prayer. Moreover, Congressman Cantor was the incumbent and the House Majority Leader. It is very rare that one with this amount of clout, money and influence loses an election.
The explanations as to why Congressman Cantor lost this election have been all over the board. They have exaggerated the Tea Party’s involvement in this election as the cause, which was not true. They have reported that he lost because of his stance on immigration, which every exit poll taken has shown that this was not the case. Every explanation by political pundits has failed to touch why Dave Brat won this primary election.
When you listen to the people of the 7th Congressional District of Virginia, you find out the real reason Congressman Cantor lost this election. He lost the election because he forgot the very words that he was sworn to uphold, We the people. It was We the people who elected him in the first place, and when he forsook the people to pursue a higher position, the people showed him they wanted someone who represented them and not his agenda. Congressman Cantor got so caught up in the political world that he forgot to represent the people who elected him from the 7th Congressional District of Virginia. When he forsook We the people, they forsook him at the voting booth.
Song of Solomon 1:6 says, “Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.” You will notice that the person being talked about in this verse was made keeper of the vineyard, but they forgot it. They kept other vineyards, but their own vineyard they did not keep. What should have been most important to this person was to make sure their own vineyard was kept before they took care of another’s vineyard.
Congressman Cantor could have learned a great lesson from this verse that would have kept him from losing this election. The lesson was to take care of We the people and they would continue to vote for him. But, when he stop caring for We the people and took them for granted, then they will stop caring about him at the voting booth.
Every leader should learn from this election that when you stop caring for We the people then they will stop following you and find someone else to follow. There are many pastors who should learn this valuable lesson. Sadly, there are too many pastors missing their pulpits on Sundays and Wednesdays to care for another people when they should be caring for their own. There is nothing wrong with a pastor OCCASIONALLY missing his pulpit, but the people of your church voted you in, and they can vote you out. Too many pastors are more invested in building a national name when they should be interested in We the people. Dear pastor, it should be a rarity that you are not in your pulpit on Sundays and Wednesdays. I’m certainly not against having people speak for you, but you need to be there so your people can see you.
Pastor, stop talking about your own selfish ambitions to your people about building a national name. Your people could care less about having a national platform, but what they care about is hearing from their pastor on how to face the heartaches and struggles they have in the coming week. They could care less that you are preaching on national platforms or flying thousands of miles when their family is in the hospital and you are not there to visit them. They could care less how many meetings you have on your books when they need a pastor to stop by their house and pray with them about personal issues. Pastor, don’t ever forget the personal touch of the ministry. Don’t ever forget We the people as you pastor your church. Remember that you took that church to pastor those people and not every other congregation around the country.
Furthermore, let me caution parents not to forget their own children for the sake of turning other children out for God. Many parents have lost their children because they forgot their own children in an attempt to make sure other children do right. I have watched adults get so wrapped up in building their bus route or Sunday school class that they completely forsook the needs of their own children. Your first responsibility is to your own children. You make sure your children have their parents before you invest your time in other children.
Finally, don’t forsake your own marriage to try to fix everyone else’s marriage. Many pastors and ministry leaders are so busy trying to fix other marriages that they forsake their own. Your marriage is the most important marriage to keep strong. Don’t try fixing the world until you make sure you have cared for your own marriage.
We the people are very strong words. Whenever a leader forgets We the people, they can be assured that the people will soon forget about them. Always remember that if you lose We the people, then you will lose your ability to serve any people. Congressman Cantor’s defeat should sound an alarm to every leader not to forget We the people.
Allen Domelle is the editor of the Old Paths Journal which is more than just a Christian’s publication. It is an excellent place to learn how today’s headlines will forge tomorrow’s laws and statutes. Keep yourself in tune with what is happening around the world, as well as in your own backyard with our daily updates and devotionals.