The heart is what drives us. Author Tedd Tripp has had a huge impact on how to raise children by stressing the importance of the heart. This quote is typical of Tripp’s insight:
“Evil thoughts, theft, malice, lewdness, arrogance, and folly; we see it all in our children from time to time. We ask one another, “Where does he get this stuff from?” The Bible tells us it comes from the heart.”
This truth applies to more than raising children.
Others have also understood role of the heart. The heart is the most powerful of all human weapons. Class warfare is driven by the heart. History has shown that class warfare cannot be controlled by laws or even armies. The combatants in class warfare can be eradicated, but they can’t be controlled, unless their hearts are changed. This is because class warfare is motivated and fueled by the heart.
Prince Absalom provides an early biblical example of heart-driven class warfare. He stole the hearts of the people by promising justice. Sound familiar? 2 Samuel 15 tells how he did it, note verses 4-6:
“And Absalom would add, “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.” Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel.”
Stolen hearts – the key to class warfare.
Throughout history this strategy has been used time and time again to topple governments and change the course of nations. This was the strategy used by Karl Marx to end the reign of the Czars in Russia.
Heart-driven class warfare is dangerous because it uses circumstances that are real and interprets them in a light favorable to the movement’s leaders. These interpreted circumstances are then used as a call for action to right a wrong. In the case of Russia, the rallying cry was the wealth of the monarchy. The poor overwhelmed the wealthy and, unwittingly, left communism in the place of power, which was Marx’s goal all along. Laws and armies had no chance against warfare driven by inflamed, manipulated hearts.
Tripp has insight to help us here as well:
“Our children will never interpret life correctly until they understand that it is the heart that directs all of life.”
The interpretation of life events is the key. This is what leaders of civll unrest, like Absalom, have understood throughout history.
Recently, some, but not all, of the leaders of the civil rights movement have taken real-life events and interpreted them to cause hearts to become inflamed to make things right. The tactics of class warfare urge a violent reaction to the verdict in Sanford, Florida. It is imperative that we recognize this violence as being driven by class warfare.
As America has turned from biblical truth, we have trusted law enforcement to deal with civil unrest. History has shown this is foolish. Yes, laws must be enforced. However, this is only a temporary fix. As we can see, the anger and riots of the 1960s are still with us, despite the passage of countless civil rights laws. Only the remedies that address the motivations of the heart can bring true healing. Prayer and practical proclamation of the gospel can provide lasting change.
After World War II America did a strange thing. She returned good for evil. And unlike World War I, enemies became friends. Today we must help those driven by class warfare to see that violence is self-serving and leads only to more oppression. We must deal with the heart. There are lessons to be learned from raising children.