When People Fail Us

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Submitted February 13, 2013

Ron Paul during his 2012 presidential campaign in America.

Source: Wikimedia Commons/David Carlyon

Monday I read that Ron Paul asked the United Nations to force the owners of RonPaul.com to give the web domain to him. It's an ironic story because Ron Paul is famously against America being part of of the United Nations . So for him to ask it to take action is pretty potent hypocrisy. The owners of the site that bears his name are firm supporters of his, who have worked hard for five years, trying to get him elected in the 2008 and 2012 U.S. presidential elections. These guys are true believers of the platform Ron Paul has built for the past several years.

What makes the irony of the situation even more potent is that Ron Paul’s core group of followers are some of the most loyal, zealous type of followers a politician can have. It’s almost like a religion. They truly believe in Ron Paul as the guy who can fix all of America's problems.

But then he goes and does something like this, which is so against everything he’s all about (free market capitalism). I was interested in the story because back in 2008, if I were to have voted for the office of the president, I’d probably have voted for Ron Paul. But when I read this on Monday, all I could think was, “This is why I don’t get so invested in politics.”

If you put all your hope and belief into someone—anyone—they will inevitably let you down. People are people, no matter what, and they always make mistakes. I have friends whose religion basically is politics—it’s what they post about on Facebook, what they tweet about, what they live and breathe. They put their whole energy behind a man or a cause. How rough that’s got to be when their politician loses or their cause is defeated.

But we all do it! Sometimes it’s so hard not to—you expect so much out of someone, and if they generally do the right thing, they get this streak going where you feel like they’re never going to make a mistake. I recently had a discussion with some friends and they talked a bit about problems they see with some in the ministry. It seemed to me that my friends were expecting the fallible men who are in the ministry to be infallible, then holding extremely harsh opinions about them because they aren’t. Ministers are indeed held to a high standard (James 3:1My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
See All...), so I’m not saying they shouldn’t act as if they aren’t. But we can’t put our faith and hope in the ministry, who can and will fall short of perfection—we can only put our full hope in Jesus Christ.

If you put all your hope and trust in Jesus, you will never be let down. Jesus is not subject to human failure. He is not subject to changing moods. He can never be defeated in a public referendum. He will never make a mistake. He never changes, and will always be faithful (James 1:17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
See All..., Hebrews 13:8Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
See All..., Hebrews 10:23Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
See All..., 2 Timothy 2:13If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
See All...). One of his names is Faithful (Revelation 19:11And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
See All...)

Take-away

It’s disappointing when someone we look up to makes a mistake or behaves in a way inconsistent with his values, like Ron Paul is seemingly doing in this situation. We’ve got to be careful not to put too much faith in imperfect humans, no matter who they are. Only Jesus Christ is worthy of that trust. And He will never let you down.

UPDATE: This blog isn't really about Ron Paul, but in the interest of fairness, here's Ron Paul's side of the story.