Christian Conservatives Need to Learn Their Limitations!

As I reflect on my growing up years from time to time, I never forget the timely words of advice my father shared with me: “Ralph you always need to learn your limitations!” What he meant by that advice is that I needed to learn to avoid doing foolish things while learning to do appropriate things competently. But I must admit that I was a slow learner. As a very young boy, I carelessly maneuvered the wagon hitch on the back of a farm tractor and only the brute strength of my father in lifting the weight of the loaded wagon full of corn prevented me from losing a finger. In high school, I lifted heavy weights carelessly without proper instruction and injured my back which gives me regular reminders of my carelessness to this day. Yes, I was slow to learn my limitations in life in what I should do and how to do well the things that were appropriate for me to do.

In some way, I believe my personal life journey in learning limitations has something for Christian Conservatives to consider regarding the 2026 mid-term election. Let me attempt to explain this correlation below.

As regular readers of my weekly blogs know, I have made clear  the risks and rewards of Donald Trump’s Presidency for Christian Conservatives.{https://www.ralphwilson1954.com/post/donald-j-trump-a-high-energy-and-high-risk-president.}

Understanding the limitations of the Trump Presidency has been a challenge for Christian Conservatives. Briefly stated, Christian Conservatives support the Trump Administration’s favorable prolife policies; removal of DEI from the military, federal contractors, and higher education; two gender policy; pro-growth tax and regulatory policies; strong national defense; and nomination of federal judges who take an originalist and textual approach to interpreting the United States Constitution. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration does not function like an old-fashioned cafeteria luncheon line where customers are able to pick and choose only the items they wish. No, in addition to the Trump Administration’s policies which Christian Conservatives can endorse and approve, Christian Conservatives must also deal with the inadequately planned, poorly explained, and mismanaged Iranian military conflict which drastically spiked gasoline, diesel, and fertilizer prices with no end in sight for a satisfactory conclusion to the conflict. Christian Conservatives must also deal with a largely arbitrary and incoherent tariff policy that has damaged many sectors of the economy such as Agriculture and Aerospace while increasing the cost of many goods purchased by consumers. Christian Conservatives were also treated to televised chaotic immigration enforcement actions against migrants who had lived for decades in communities with no incidents with the law. This undermined support for the necessary work of arresting and deporting migrants who had committed crimes. Christian Conservatives have also experienced the ignominy in regular display of watching and listening to the unpresidential behavior of an erratic, narcissistic and egomaniac President. Christian Conservatives cannot defend the indefensible.

For those who think this assessment is too harsh, let me ask you these questions: Would President Ronald Reagan have secured the nomination of a Republican U.S. Senate Candidate in Texas who was laden with overwhelming moral and ethical baggage which guaranteed his defeat in the general election by a far left Progressive? Would President Ronald Reagan have endorsed and secured the appointment of a hopelessly unqualified individual to replace the late Senator Lindsey Graham as a U.S. Senator in South Carolina who was then easily defeated when she ran for election? Would President Ronald Reagan have shamelessly “hawked” on a television commercial an advertisement to sell a commemorative watch bearing his name and picture? Would President Reagan have allowed his family members to engage in crypto business ventures with third parties which gave the appearance that the office of the Presidency was being leveraged for these ventures? I believe the answer to these questions should be obvious to Conservative Christians.

So where do we go from here? As I said in last week’s blog {https://www.ralphwilson1954.com/post/my-political-science-professor-had-it-right},  the Old Testament shares how God used the pagan Persian King Cyrus and a flawed Israel King Jehu to accomplish His will and purpose for the Jewish people. Notwithstanding President Trump’s mercurial personality, I firmly believe that God can do the same with the Trump Administration for our great country during the last two years of the Presidential term. Christians should pray earnestly that God will do this. This is in keeping with God’s word in I Timothy 2:1-2 that Christians should pray for their leaders. But Christians should also never forget the important advice provided in Psalm 146:3-5 regarding the limitations of placing undue trust in earthly leaders with ultimate trust being placed in God who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them.

God bless you and thank you for the privilege of your time in reading my blog.

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