Congresswoman Michele Bachmann encourages students

Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann addressed more than 10,000 students at Liberty University’s Convocation Wednesday, April 16, urging them, as well as all Christians in society, to “contend for the things that matter.”

As Bachmann took the stage, she made it clear why she was visiting Liberty. She shared that she reached out to Johnnie Moore, senior vice president of communications, with a huge passion for the state of Israel.

In May of 2013, Bachmann announced she would not be seeking re-election, although she said she has not ruled out running for office in the future. However, her decision has not put a damper on her commitment to the U.S. government, nor has it diminished her convictions, according to Bachmann.

“I plan to stay fully engaged in shaping the national debate with what’s happening with our country,” Bachmann said. “I’ll just be doing it from a different perch.”

Even in Bachmann’s transition, she has continued to remain committed and driven to see the U.S. maintain strong ties with Israel. She challenged students to humble themselves in order to be better leaders and culture shapers.

“If you want to be a leader, you have to be willing to be a suffering servant first,” Bachmann said.

Bachmann encouraged students to educate themselves, understand their faith, understand the culture in which they live and stand firm for what is right, realizing the consequences that come with remaining silent.

“Just like we contend for the faith, we contend for a body of ideas that are really important for the next generation,” Bachmann said.

While Bachmann pointed out that it is great to fight for the ideas and convictions that matter, she said she understands that connecting with the younger generation politically has proven to be somewhat of a difficulty for representatives on Capitol Hill.

“We need to engage (millennials) intellectually and challenge them,” Bachmann said when asked how the Republican Party should reach the younger generation.

Bachmann showed her heart for Israel and a heart for this generation as she concluded her Convocation message. She left students with a call to stand firm on the promises of Scripture and to fight for the things that matter.