The big election day decision everyone has to make is whether to vote for Mitt Romney or Barack Obama or write-in or vote for a candidate with zero chance of winning. Although I sympathaze with Evangelicals who do not want to support Mitt Romney, I believe I’m called to make wise decisions and be the best steward of the influence and resources God has given me. I don’t believe a general election vote equates to an endorsement. I don’t believe general elections are the appropriate vehicles for protesting our failure to get an adequate candidate on the ballot.
That being said, I am prayerful that whoever wins the election has a real meeting with God. God made good men Kings in the days of Israel. He anointed David, Asa, Hezekiah, and others who honored their King to rule over Israel. He put up godly Judges like Debra and others to rule over Israel. Good leaders can make a HUGE difference.
God also, however, placed in leadership evil men. Saul was half-hearted. Manasseh was an evil King. Ahab was “more evil than all kings before him.” Read through first and second Kings, Chronicles, etc. for the sometimes nasty details.
I respect men and women who, in their own consciences and within their own understanding of the Scriptures, can’t vote for Romney or Obama. Don’t let anyone tell you, however, who to vote for. Pray. Show Up. Vote. Trust God with a clear conscience. He was sovereign when he anointed good and evil men. He’s sovereign this week as we vote. He’ll be sovereign for eternity. The Curse we live under makes men governing themselves futile. It’s supposed to be that way. It’s supposed to point us to our Creator King!
The biggest threat to the Church as it relates to public policy and politics is that some believers get so emotionally caught up in the political game that it becomes an idol. They begin to think that politics holds answers. They begin to believe that we are responsible for the outcome of elections and the direction the culture goes. We are called to do two things: love God and love our neighbor. I believe it is very difficult to love our neighbor if we lead them to believe that their party affiliation, voting record, or candidate preference is more important than the pursuit of their Creator.
I am not a fatalist in that I believe God will honor our participation as we vote with Him on our hearts. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be active and using our gifts in the public square doing public service in any number of capacities. I’m saying we need to keep this whole election in perspective.
Vote. Love God. Love your neighbor. He takes care of the rest and will show us how government is supposed to work soon enough.
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