A farmer once taught politician Davy Crockett, an important lesson regarding the United States Constitution but also on the great value of Christian commitment, honesty and integrity.

Many years before his encounter with the Tennessee farmer – a Christian man, Horatio Bunce, Crockett had voted in favour of money from the public purse being used to give relief as charity, to some families that had seen their homes destroyed by a fire in Georgia deeming it acceptable to appropriate this money as an act of charity.

But Bunce pointed out to Crockett that “when Congress once begins to stretch its power beyond the limits of the Constitution, there is no limit to it, and no security for the people.”

He argued that the government’s action left that same idea wide open for abuse – anyone could table a bill for the payment of any amount of money for any purpose under the guise of charity -  saying:

“The power of collecting and disbursing money at pleasure is the most dangerous power that can be entrusted to man, particularly under our system of collecting revenue by a tariff, which reaches every man in the country, no matter how poor he may be, and the poorer he is the more he pays in proportion to his means.”

Crockett was taken aback by the words of Bunce and it radically changed his whole approach to such matters. When later another bill was taken up appropriating money for the benefit of a widow of a distinguished naval officer, it seemed to be that everybody favoured it, except Crockett who stood in opposition to the bill and instead challenged members of Congress to give up one week’s pay to meet this need, noting he was willing to, even as the poorest of all the members present. Nobody replied.

Crockett had promised Bunce he would never again be party to any such unconstitutional activities and he kept his word. In a subsequent speech he gave at a community event he, spoke of Horatio Bunce, and referred back to their conversation when Bunce had talked about the principles and affairs of government, and confirmed that Bunce had “got more real, true knowledge of them than I had got all my life before.”

He went on to say: “Mr. Bunce converted me politically. He came nearer converting me religiously than I had ever been before. He did not make a very good Christian of me, as you know; but he has wrought upon my feelings a reverence for its purifying and elevating power such as I had never felt before. If everyone who professes to be a Christian lived and acted and enjoyed it as he does, the religion of Christ would take the world by storm.”

Perhaps if we had more Godly men willing to take a stand for truth like that Tennessee farmer, not only could we change the government, but we could also change the world for Christ. Jesus Came into this world to save sinners from going to a lost eternity, will you put your trust in Jesus today for tomorrow could be too late.

Find out more HERE.