There are an awful lot of voices out there telling you what to think right now. Unclogging my mailbox has become a daily and absolutely necessary chore lately (sorry for the one day I forgot to check my mailbox, mailperson - IOU.)
The obvious fact is this: there is no shortage of people telling you how to vote this election. From political campaigns to sport organizations to your closest friends and even down to yourself, each of our lives are steeped in an opinion-driven and selfish culture.
But Proverbs 3:7 reminds us to “not be wise in our own eyes.” We must let God’s Word inform our voting. We must pray for God to lead us in the right direction. We must set aside our opinions and the opinions of others.
We find an incredibly reassuring verse for our nation on God’s role in all of this in Daniel 2:20-21:
God is in control. Let the magnitude of that truth sink into your anxious soul.
Here are five ways to let God’s Word inform your voting:
1. Pray
We saw above what God’s role is, but we find our role in 1 Timothy 2:1-4:
"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."
God controls and we pray for our leaders. We love how our friends at The Porch say it: “You’ll never be burdened for what you’re not praying for.”
Are we a people that prays for our leaders (and opponents) more than we post about them?
Specifically, here's how to pray for our government leaders:
- Salvation and understanding of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4)
- Wisdom and knowledge (Daniel 2:21)
- For God to remove/set up His appointed leaders (Daniel 2:21)
- Unity among leadership (Proverbs 21:1)
2. Stand for what the Bible stands for
Throughout the entire Bible we get a front row seat of God's heart, attributes and values. We see what He loves and what He hates. We see what leads to life and what leads to death. As you fill out your ballot, ask yourself what the Bible has to say about each specific issue and policy.
"Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.” (Deuteronomy 12:28)
3. Vote
We must VOTE. We see in Jeremiah 29:7 that God commands the Israelites to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”
To not vote is to disregard the charge to “seek the welfare of the city”. We ARE exiles (1 Peter 2:11) placed on this planet to be a messengers of Christ and to answer this charge. Being that we are exiles here on Earth, we must vote from the standpoint that above all else we are citizens of Heaven, which means our first allegiance is to God.
Ideally we would always be able to vote for the person who is most surrendered to God, but no person is perfect (Romans 3:23). We are all fallen people living in a broken world - so when faced with two imperfect candidates, choose the candidate who is most aligned with God’s Word and values.
4. Honor those in authority
You can already feel yourself warring against this one, can't you? Paul tells us in Romans 13:1-2:
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”
Regardless of who wins, let’s take God at His word and trust that He will be glorified in our honoring of those in authority.
5. Let your light and life point others to the one true King
It’s no secret, your life and your actions speak far louder than your political opinion ever could. Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:16 are such an encouragement:
“...let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
I think we can all see and predict the outcome of this election in some capacity. Regardless of who wins the election, there will be extreme amounts of unhappiness, plenty of debate over the accuracy of the results, and ongoing activity in the streets. As citizens of Heaven, we cannot allow ourselves to fall into the trap of joining in on the negativity and thus suppressing the light of Christ. We must be voices of hope and peace in the midst of what we know will be a very tumultuous season (Romans 12:18). We must avoid useless and unconstructive arguments and debates, but we must educate ourselves on Biblical principles and stand firm on truth so that God may bring repentance to the people of this nation (2 Tim 2: 23-26).
It is so good to know that we don’t have to fearfully look to our politicians for hope. Our hope is found in the redeeming work of Christ and Christ alone. God is sovereign over all, and every king, nation, and tribe will one day bend their knee before Him. Our hope is not in the winner of an election, but in the saving grace and eternal reign of Jesus Christ.
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