Pray. Vote. Love.
While I love this time of year, I know it can be hectic and stressful. The never-ending political ads that you just can’t seem to get away from are beyond annoying. A new friend I met recently is running for Lt. Governor of Indiana. He told me that politics comes from two words: poly, meaning many, and ticks, meaning blood-sucking parasites. When I got done laughing, I looked at my new friend and said, “Thank you for running for office! We need good, godly leaders in places of authority and influence.”
I want to encourage you to VOTE. I was shocked to discover that there are nearly 30 million Christians that do not vote! Why would that be? I know there are some who are convinced that as a citizen of Heaven, they have no business in elections. Listen, I know that our options sometimes make voting challenging. But as Christians, we are to be a light in this dark world. What does light do? It influences its surroundings. Let me address a very simple question: Why should Christians vote? What, if anything, do the Scriptures tell us about this practice of voting for our leaders?
“Work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare” (Jer. 29:7).
But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior (Phil. 3:20).
So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” (2 Cor. 5:20).
Israel would be living in a foreign land, Babylon, for 70 years. For years, they would be surrounded by ungodliness, idol worship, and immorality. But just because they were citizens of Israel did not mean they were not to care about Babylon. While there would be no voting in Babylon, they were to work for the peace and prosperity of that place. They were supposed to pray for it. They were supposed to work for the city’s welfare, which would significantly impact their lives.
So it is with Christians in America. I know our citizenship is in Heaven. But as long as we are on this earth, we are responsible for this world’s welfare, peace, and prosperity. I’m not obsessed with this world, but I care about it! How this world goes, the laws passed, and the policies pursued, will impact my life and yours.
What are Christians to do during an election cycle?
Pray.
We must PRAY for our city, state, and nation. As it is in Heaven, let it be on the earth! We should pray that God will give us leaders who will make decisions based on His plans. We should pray that God will bless our leaders and give them a heart to know Him! We should ask God to help our leaders.
Vote.
We must VOTE as ambassadors of the heavenly kingdom of which we are citizens. We certainly can’t sit around and gripe about the moral decline in our nation when we are not willing to stand up for Biblical values through our votes. Allow the values of Heaven to direct you as you vote. An ambassador lives in a foreign land and experiences the tensions that come with that. Have you felt some of that tension lately? The primary responsibility of an ambassador is to accurately represent and advocate for their home country’s values and goals while abroad. We should ask, what values represent the King of Kings? What goals is He working toward? And how am I representing those values and goals in all that I do, including how I vote?
Love.
We must LOVE like Jesus. If we will represent Jesus well, we will love well. You don’t have to look farther than the next person in front of you to find someone who needs love and compassion. Election seasons are all too often known for high emotions and divisiveness. Let’s go out of our way to bring the love of Jesus into this season with every person we come in contact with.
Love and Prayers,
Pastor Kevin