Emerging Conservative

I haven’t said much on the whole Gov. Blagojevich thing since I do believe in the presumption of innocence and that anyone can look guilty or innocent depending on how the media wants to paint it. Now that his first trial is over and he was found not guilty on most of the charges but guilty on one, he is back on the interview trail and I’m a little more willing to chat.

This morning, I watched him being interviewed on the Today show and I saw more of the same that I have seen from him before. He appears to be the stereotypical politician with a gift for spin, repeating pre-practiced answers, and ignoring the interviewer’s questions to just spew what ever message he is bent on portraying. At the same time, I realized he was also just a guy who made some mistakes and is dancing so he doesn’t have to accept responsiblity for it. I would have so much more respect for him if he just said “The truth is I made some mistakes and I am sorry. You can get caught up in this game and the junk that happens in politics but when it comes down to it, I only had control over what I did or did not do and I could have done it better.”  Then follow it up with a tangible change in life and make a difference instead of years of being on the defense.

Now, the main point of the blog is not to beat up Mr. Blagojevich (though his picture is featured). It is a hope that all of us can learn from him (or at least the impression I have of him). 

It’s this simple… If you screw up… own it. Take it and be humbled about it. Learn from it. If a sin was involved, accept the forgiveness from the Lord (as a Christian) or come to Him for the first time by accepting Him as leader and forgiver by acknowledging Him with your mouth and believing in your heart He is the Son of God. If you hurt others, ask for their forgiveness and realize you have no control on how they will react to that request. Let it be a catalyst of change so the next time that situation presents itself, you’ll do it better.

Now, don’t get me wrong. If others accuse you of something you did not do, I am not advocating you do not defend yourself. However, don’t do so by becoming a tyrant. The simple truth is not everyone is going to be thrilled with anyone else all the time. Hear the other person, evaluate it, pray over it….. If you don’t agree, state so with love and respect and why you don’t agree. If they still accuse you, continue to pray for you, pray for them, and let your integrity speak for you.

However, do not act like Mr. Blagojevich trying to plow everyone over to force people to be on your side. You might get away with it once, maybe even twice but after a while, people catch on. When people catch on, you tend to find yourself to be a pretty lonely person accept for those who wish to use you.

Random thoughts….