Keys to the Kingdom

I don’t have an athletic bone in my body, however, I didn’t mind PE in school as long as it was exercises, crab soccer, relay races, or running to the Stockton Lake’s first boat dock and back. But when we played volleyball, softball, or basketball, I was completely lost. I don’t remember the coach ever explaining how to play any of these games. It seemed to me that all the other girls knew what to do, how to do it, and enjoyed it. I didn’t have a clue how to do any of these sports. When I played the outfield (and I happened to get the ball) I wouldn’t know where to throw it! I couldn’t seem to pay attention to these games because I simply wasn’t interested. It was comforting to know that I would eventually graduate and that would be the end of my athletic exasperations.

Not everyone is cut out to be a physical athlete, but all believers are to be spiritual athletes. In order to stand up under fire, spiritual muscles are a requirement. We must participate in lifelong training of our spirit. Paul is writing about spiritual growth and says, “Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong” (Hebrews 5:14 NLT). The only way to properly distinguish between good and evil is to read the user’s manual, which is God’s Word. “For the free gift of eternal salvation is now being offered to everyone; and along with this gift comes the realization that God wants us to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures and to live good, God-fearing lives day after day” (Titus 2:12 TLB).

Lazy people practice being lazy. Disciplined people practice discipline. You have to practice whatever you’re interested in to be any good at it. “Exercise yourself spiritually and practice being a better Christian, because that will help you not only now in this life, but in the next life too” (1 Timothy 4:8 TLB).

It seems to me that, if Christ followers really loved God, we would want to dedicate time in His Word. It’s comparable to spending time in the gym and working out to build muscles and strength. The Bible tells us how to be spiritual giants…if we’re interested. I recently read the book of Galatians. My vocabulary isn’t very sophisticated, but at the top of these pages I wrote: Wow, powerful, great news, live by love and faith, believe and reap blessings. “Jesus replied, ’But even more blessed are all who hear the Word of God and put it into practice’” (Luke 11:28 NLT).

Paul writes to the Christians in Colosse and tells them to continue to work on their spiritual muscles: “I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness“ (Colossians 2:5-7 NLT). When believers are disciplined and deeply committed to Christ Jesus as Lord, the devil is dialing 911.

God the Father has given His children triumphant grace to live a life of practicing His Word. He has given us powerful promises so we can be strong in faith, goodness, understanding, self-control, patient endurance, godliness, mercy, and love.

The Key: Flex your spiritual muscles and practice your strong faith outside the gym.

My writings have been primarily focused on Bourbon County and how we stack up to the counties in our area; however, it is wise to take a step back periodically and see how we fit into a larger context. Census trends over the last ten years for the United States of America and Kansas can be a window into our past and a foreshadowing of our future.

Census data indicates that our national population growth rate has been declining over the past few decades, caused by lower birth rates and the aging of the historically large Baby Boom generation. In fact, without immigration, the USA would have been near zero growth over the last 10 years. This would explain why the growth rate of Kansas lagged behind the national average by 4.2 percentage points at 2.1%; we tend to welcome fewer immigrants every year than east and west coast states. That is illustrated by the fact that the Kansas white population is 10 percentage points higher than the national number of 76.3%; we lag significantly behind in every ethnic group. The diversity numbers are the lowest in Southeast Kansas counties, where every county in the region lost population between census dates.

Surprisingly, Kansas tends to be younger on average than the USA as a whole, especially in the under 18 demographic. Kansans are still having children, while other parts of the country are relying upon migration or immigration for growth. The percentage of Kansans over 65 is slightly below the national average, despite Bourbon County being 3.7 percentage points above the average. Bourbon County has more retired people and additional people too young to earn a wage. Tough factors to overcome.

An important indicator is housing, and the numbers are a little foreboding for locals. The average home value in the state is $151,900 versus $217,500 nationally; in Bourbon County, the number is $82,700. Unfortunately, the average Kansan pays a slightly higher monthly cost for their undervalued home compared to the other 49 states and US territories; a symptom of the high real estate tax phenomenon we all endure.

Lastly, the health care/poverty statistics could be our biggest challenge as Kansans and residents of Bourbon County. The national poverty rate has been declining and stands at 10.5%; that number is 11.4% for Kansas and 15.6% for Bourbon County. To make matters worse, Kansas is 1.4 percentage points over the national average of citizens without health care insurance at 10.9%, and we have a much higher percentage of disabled residents under the age of 65, especially in Bourbon County. This means more stress on our local safety net and health care services.

Who is leading the growth in the USA? Energy sector states such as North Dakota, low tax/regulation states such as Texas and Florida and states conducive to immigration like New York. Because our energy sector is not large, higher taxes, and minimal immigration, expect rural Kansas to struggle to maintain population in the foreseeable future.