An Open Letter to the New President

Dear President Trump,

Congratulations on a hard-fought win that has taken everyone, but you, by surprise. I wish you the greatest of success in the 2017-2021 term you will serve. If I may, I want to give you some counsel you have undoubtedly already received.

First, make it your aim to please God, not man. Even though we voted, and enough of us voted for you to win the electoral college, it is ultimately God who establishes leaders. If you draw near to Him, he will draw near to you. The Lord God takes delight in answering those who call upon Him in Jesus' name. You have told us you are a Christ-follower. Pleasing God above all else is what Christ-followers do. Do not think that spending time in prayer and Bible study is a drain on your time. The wisdom you need is found in the pages of the greatest Book ever written.

Second, surround yourself with wise and moral men and women. And as you choose them, find those unafraid to disagree with you. You need to be able to see your important role from several angles. Given your success as a businessman has undoubted taught you that and much more.

Third, keep your word that you gave to us in your campaign. Seek to implement through Congress the proper legislation to fulfill your dream to "make America great again." Many--very many--of us are sick of the Executive Branch using executive orders to force an agenda down our throats. We do not want a monarchy; we want a representative republic.

Fourth, as you said early this morning in your acceptance speech, do all you can to unite this nation around the values that make it great. God will give you wisdom to know which points of discussion we can compromise on. After all, none of us has the perfect answer to all the woes that can plague a nation.

Fifth, I urge you to appoint a White House chaplain. Find a wise, godly man. You and the hundreds you employ will need  his counsel more often than you realize.

Finally, for anyone reading this, I urge you to give hold this man up in prayer. His role will be challenging. He needs the prayers of God's people. Whether you voted for him, or not. pray for this man and his family.

Once more, many heartfelt congratulations on your victory.

Respectfully yours,

Kevin Shearer, D. Min.