Friday, January 28, 2011

The Cancer of Corruption

Philstar.com posted this question in facebook -  INBOX QUESTION: What can you say about alleged massive corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines?

What can I say?  So what else is new?  It’s come to the point that I am not surprised when corruption like this is exposed on television.  Sadly, I think all these Senate interviews, and exposes of corruption in the government are just hyped up “Tele novelas” just to excite people to watch or read the news.  Everyone knows that corruption exists in government.  We shouldn’t be surprised anymore that we find a Cabinet secretary, or head of a government agency is involved in corruption.  It’s come to a point where anyone who is assigned a position in government is immediately suspected of corruption.

But let’s go deeper.  If we think that it’s just our government leaders, heads and employees who are corrupt – well, we need to think again.  It’s not just the Generals in the AFP who are transferring funds for their personal gains.  Just ask the sales rep who deals with the Purchasing division of a company if there are purchasing officers who ask for a cut in the purchase.  Or ask a patient who buys medicine from a Doctor who sells free samples of medicines given to him.  Or ask a customer who had his electronic gadget fixed and was asked to pay for a part replaced but was never really broken in the first place.  It’s all around.

We don’t even have to point fingers at others.  Just check our own hearts.  How many of us are willing to shed a few pesos just to get out of a fix – caught by an enforcer for not wearing seatbelts, or to get things done more quickly at the city hall.  How many of us will not obey traffic lights or signs because we’re in a hurry.  I remember how I used to ask for lunch receipts from friends so that I could claim them as expenses from my office (and I worked with my father in his business!  I was basically stealing from him).  We justify corruption by claiming or believing we deserve them, that it is rightfully ours.  That’s probably what those generals and government officials are saying - “we’re not being paid enough, so we might as well get what we can”.  Ouch.

Corruption is all around, deeply embedded in our hearts.

Jesus simply called it sin. 

John 8:34 (NIV) Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

We are slaves to sin.  We’re bound to it.  We can’t help but do it.  But I know, for some of us, there comes a point when we want out.  We know we’re sinning, deep in corruption, tired of doing wrong.  Jesus also offered a solution for this.

John 8:36 (NIV)  36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

The way out of corruption is not a change of government, or Senate hearings, or an expose`, but a personal dealing in our hearts – allowing God to deal with our sin, cleansing us of sin, giving us the power to repent, and walk with God.  The Son, Jesus Christ, can set us free!  If we allow Him.

2 Peter 1:4 (NIV)
4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

It is possible.  All we have to do is heed the call of the Son of God to come to Him, believe in Him as the One who took your sin on the cross, paid for the penalty, and rose again from the dead.  He alone can set us free from sin.

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

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