Saturday, February 23, 2008

Carbon Tax and Peter's Fish

In discussing voodoo economics in the form of the BC government's carbon tax, the question arises, What's a Godly environmentalist supposed to do?

Begin by refusing to worry about it. Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and render unto the Lord that which is the Lord's.

In other words, begin by repenting before the Lord for whatever role you yourself played in not managing Creation properly. We're all responsible for that, and this whole mess has been caused by the fact that we haven't been good stewards of the earth He has given us to live in.

Then, we can seek Him for guidance on what He wants us to do and how He wants us to do it. Then go ahead and do it, trusting that He will provide the means.

When God tells you to do something, He doesn't tell you to afford it - He tells you to do it.

If, for example, we hear a call from God that involves driving from West Vancouver to Abbotsford, we can't let "gas costs too much (with or without the carbon tax)" to be an excuse. We need to say, "yes, Lord" and then trust Him to
  1. provide the resources
  2. provide the money to pay for the resources (including the carbon tax)
  3. mitigate any environmental damage that might be done -- after all, He's God, and He would never give us an assignment that involved destroying His Creation.

Don't let things like the carbon tax dissuade you from doing what the Lord has called you to do. The carbon tax can be an instrument of Satan to throw a roadblock in your way by making something "too expensive". Look at it as another way that God is forcing you to rely on Him and to seek His guidance. We should never use the resources He gave us foolishly, but we must know that those resources are there for us to do His work.

Here's another way to look at it. Remember when the disciples were asked whether Jesus paid taxes, and He sent Peter fishing?

Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take and give unto them for me and thee.

-- Matt. 17:27 (KJV)

Jesus tells Peter to go fishing; Peter was a fisherman. INTERPRETATION - don't worry about the tax money: go back to what you are anointed to do, and the tax money will be provided and then some. BUT ... don't just do the job in any way: do it in your most skillful way -- casting a hook vs. dropping a net overboard and grabbing whatever comes up -- and your need will be met.

And of course, this is all done under the direction of the Lord Himself.

Praise God, through Jesus we can hear that same direction ... and beat the enemy, with his behaviour-modification carbon tax, on his own turf.

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