Columnist Arnold Ahlert:

“[D]espite the Obama administration and Democrats bewailing income inequality, it is their steadfast determination to expand government and continue embracing Keynesian economic theories that have done more than anything else to exacerbate that inequality. Without getting into the eye-glazing details, understand that this bunch fervently believes that shoveling trillions of dollars into the economy … is the ultimate solution to all of our economic problems, because it will create a ‘wealth effect’ that in turn will spur the consumer spending necessary to ‘jump start’ the economy. Six years and $7 trillion later, we’re still waiting for liftoff. … We’re amassing the largest ‘bar tab’ in the history of mankind. And the only reason we’re still getting beer is because entities like the European Union, China and Japan are running up their own tabs, and we look like less risky drunks by comparison. Why don’t we stop? Because no one wants to deal with the pain of getting ‘sober,’ aka living within our means.”‘

One Sunday morning, when my children were little, we were at a service at the only church in Glennville, our town (it is the oldest church in Kern County).

The children were gathered at the front for their lesson. They were, of course, all adorable in their Sunday best.

The teacher was expounding about the crowd of people who were out in the hills with Jesus when mealtime came. She was going to tell them the miracle of the five loaves and two fishes that the little boy shared, and somehow Jesus fed thousands with it. “Oh, they were so hungry,” she explained, holding her stomach and really laying it on. Her expression looked like she might be having an appendix attack right then! “What would you do?” she continued, “They were so hungry and they had no money to get something to eat!” Clearly this was drama at its finest.

Suddenly, one little tow-headed three-year-old piped up, “They could use a credit card!”

The room dissolved into laughter and the teacher was hard-pressed to regain the moment and the audience’s attention.

I know that little lady does not head the economic advisory team in our nation, but clearly, they stole her idea.

We are running down the road on credit and the party will have to stop somewhere. The sooner, the better. Even if we stopped deficit spending today, it would be a long and painful way back to solid ground.

In the same way that we all missed the lesson of God’s magnificent provision that Sunday long ago, once the easy solution of running up credit was suggested, our nation is by-passing the glorious discovery that we can be One Nation, Under God and seek His favor and His help.

We have been in jams before and have known where to turn.

May we make that turn again, sober and aware of the need to get our house in order. We have made promises that need to be kept. Those who are patriots need to take one giant step forward and remember who we are.

Matthew 23:16-22, The Message (MSG): "You’re hopeless! What arrogant stupidity! You say, 'If someone makes a promise with his fingers crossed, that’s nothing; but if he swears with his hand on the Bible, that’s serious.’ What ignorance! Does the leather on the Bible carry more weight than the skin on your hands? And what about this piece of trivia: ‘If you shake hands on a promise, that’s nothing; but if you raise your hand that God is your witness, that’s serious’? What ridiculous hairsplitting! What difference does it make whether you shake hands or raise hands? A promise is a promise. What difference does it make if you make your promise inside or outside a house of worship? A promise is a promise. God is present, watching and holding you to account regardless.“