Joint Session of Congress

U.S. President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress on Tuesday. In what is essentially a difference without a distinction, it was not formally a State of the Union address, as the President is in the first year of his second non-consecutive term. The address lasted approximately approximately an hour and 40 minutes (the longest joint session address ever) and included significant focus on border security, economic policy (including tariffs), and prioritizing American interests. Per usual, most Republicans lauded the speech and most Democrats critiqued it.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Engage on substance. You and I had this conversation a year ago when then-President Joe Biden delivered his final State of the Union address. In both cases, there was plenty of substance to consider and also plenty of palace intrigue. The challenge is to wisely distinguish between the two in order to thoughtfully and faithfully have an impact toward flourishing.

Remember, the places around the world—both now and across the sweep of human history—where dissent and disagreement are not tolerated are actually the most oppressive places on the globe. Differences of opinion are not the enemy, and in fact provide an atmosphere in which each of us can be refined (Pr. 27:17). So it is not a state of perpetual kumbaya we are seeking, but rather a humility-infused desire to be personally refined in order that others might flourish.

A modern-day presidential address to Congress can be a challenging venue to walk out this directive. That makes it a perfect opportunity for The Equipped family! If you chose to watch Tuesday’s speech, take a moment now to specifically identify and categorize what is substance and what is palace intrigue. Then, deliberately set aside the latter and engage on the former (2 Tim. 2:23).

The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.