Literal Godlessness

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post on the godlessness of Republicans chanting "We Built It" at the GOP Convention. Not surprisingly, it wasn't only the Republicans who displayed godlessness. The Democratic Convention exhibited its own powerful example of godlessness.
Here is the quick summary:
1. In 2008 the official Democratic platform had one mention of God. It said, "We need a government that stands up for the hopes, values, and interests of working people, and gives everyone willing to work hard the chance to make the most of their God-given potential."
2. In the current platform, there was no mention of God, but the parallel phrase replaced "God-given potential" with "talent and drive."
3. After being criticized for the elimination of God from their platform, the Democrats passed a motion that put him back in with an amendment that also officially recognized Jersualem as the capital of Israel. If you watch the video of the amendment, it is not clear whether it actually did pass. There seemed to be just as many "No's" as "Aye's." (As a sidenote, this has caused me and my friend Jason to laugh every time a vote comes up on our elder board.)
Now, what strikes me most about this issue is not that God was eliminated. Sometimes it is better to admit that God is not a part of your grid, rather than to include him for political advancement.

What strikes me most is what replaced God. God was replaced by OUR talents and OUR drive. This is convicting to me because these are the things that I normally use to replace God in my own life. Ipractice godlessness when I believe that MY talents and MY drive will take me where I want to go. Nevermind that everything I have, including my talents and drive, are gifts from God himself.
Godlessness is arrogance. It is arrogance when Republicans practice it by shouting, "We built it." It is arrogance when Democrats practice it by replacing "God" with "talents and drive." And it is arrogance when I practice it I don't pray to God, don't rely on God, and don't thank God, but rather rely on my own wisdom and talents and internal motivation.
Those of us who are believers have the privilege of living in an unashamed, absolute display of our dependence upon God. We are free from the need to prove ourselves because God alone justifies. We are free from trying to impress others because we boast in God alone. We are free from the need to defend ourselves because we know that we are broken sinners saved only through the divine sacrifice of the eternal Son of God!
Praise God that we are not only called not to be godless, but we are also set free from the need to be godless. Let's respond with prayerful, humble reliance on an all-powerful, all-good God.