Former President Jimmy Carter
Former President Jimmy Carter passed away at the age of 100, being distinguished as the oldest former President. Numerous “news” articles are coming out and I’d bet if I turned the tv on to one of the “news” channels, there would already be segments upon segments regarding his life. Before we, as a society, either raise him so high on a pedestal (which is what I expect), that no one will be brave enough to say anything negative about him or start attacking his accomplishments, I wanted to jot down my thoughts.
You see, I was politically aware by the time Jimmy Carter was elected president. In fact, I was 14. Not able to vote, but I certainly had my opinion on who I hoped would be elected president. This was approximately the same time that I gave my life to Jesus so the reports of him being a Christian was a huge draw to me. Before I go any further I want to state, in my opinion and not that it counts to anything, that I believe Jimmy Carter was part of the body of believers of Jesus Christ. I may have disagreed with some of his political statements over the last 50 years, but my belief that he is a Christian has never wavered.
Besides being a Christian, my assessment of Jimmy Carter was that he was a very intelligent man. So, his morality and intelligence were the two attributes that impressed me about the candidate Jimmy Carter. This also drew me to giving him my support (for what little it was worth). To say I was pleased when he was elected President would be an understatement. Again, this is all my recollection and opinion.
His Presidency was marred by too much thinking and not enough doing. He was a micro manager in a role that was so huge it wasn’t feasible to operate in that manner. In short, he was an ineffective president, not because he didn’t have a good moral compass but because he wanted to gather so much data that the situation changed before he could make that decision. During his tenure, we had inflation problems, gas shortages, an Iranian hostage crisis (sound familiar to the last few years?) and other problems that would have tried the best executive.
As I mentioned, I’ve already seen the headlines of articles mentioning things like the Camp David accord (way beyond a teenagers appreciation), as being the highlight of his presidency. I’d agree if it wasn’t for his inaction or delayed action on every other issues mentioned above.
By the time the next election rolled around (and I was one month shy of being able to actually vote), my next selected horse in the Presidential race was Walter Mondale for similar reasons that I picked Jimmy Carter (preferred moral basis and intelligence). Again, I was wrong and never so happy that the election was decided for Ronald Reagan. Former President Reagan was all the things Former President Carter wasn’t, decisive, charismatic, desiring experts to advise him, etc. His two terms in office will be revered by a majority of those alive and, in my opinion, be remembered favorably by posterity.
Former President Jimmy Carter embarked on a post presidency career of humanitarian activity and aid. I contend, that when he is elevated on that pedestal I mentioned, it will be for this part of his life’s work. He raised awareness in general but also touched people’s lives even if they weren’t aware that a former President helped build their house.
“Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king, and by steadfast love his throne is upheld. The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.” - Proverbs 20:28-29 ESV
“Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.” So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight. You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey. And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation.” - Numbers 27:15-21
“Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory…” - Romans 9:21-23
God is sovereign and he has a plan for the universe before you and I were born. What role will you play?
