It is time for a little less in this election rather than more. There are ways that Christians can be less than other people, ways that we can actually lose what others have. And these things are worth living without.
Wouldn’t you expect that someone who has a worldview that differs from the mainstream would vote with a viewpoint that is different? You could expect it, but I don’t think it is often the case. As far as I’m concerned, who you vote for (or what) cannot be as important as the worldview with which you vote. Here are five less things that a follower of Jesus can have while voting today:
1. Hypeless: One thing the Bible clearly tells us is “man looks on the outward appearance and God looks at the heart”. Though we can’t see into the heart of every candidate, we can look past the outward appearance. A Christian should be able to put the hype and hoopla of every candidate aside and look at the deeper things of their life.
2. Soundless: The prayer instructions in Matthew’s Gospel apply here too. Don’t be like the pagans that just like to hear themselves pray. (As I write this in the Islands, I can hear a guy with a loudspeaker outside who is loudly proclaiming who to vote for). We are instructed to go into our closets to pray. A believer in Jesus Christ might want to spend the voting day asking God about his opinions and listen with a receiving heart and with a mind wide open. It doesn’t matter who the pastor is voting for. Who is God supporting? That is who is going to be in power (by God’s allowance).
3. Stressless: We don’t need to cheer if the person (or proposition) we voted for prevails. Neither do we have to moan if they don’t. We believe that God knows all things and knows how to handle anyone in power. He did a good job with Pharoah and Nebuchadnezzar, didn’t he? Therefore, don’t stress the results. Our God reigns.
4. Partyless: You may be a member of a particular party but, (and this may come as a shock) God isn’t. He has followers in every party and there are those who are godless in every party. A believer doesn’t tote any line unless it is God’s line. The question, as Joshua discovered, is not “whose side is God on” but rather “who is on the Lord’s side”?
5. Distractionless: Hopefully, a believer in Jesus Christ does the civic duty of voting and then goes on to other affairs in life. Don’t spend days or weeks discussing all the pros and cons of each decision. Let the election season come to an end and move on with life. In fact, move on with life even before you vote. All living is local…you can’t live internationally. You have to live your life now, where you live, with those people you know. You don’t live in Washington (unless you do) and you certainly don’t live in the White house (unless you live in a white house, but that doesn’t count). Wherever you are, be all there.
