(And, why you may want to take a break from TV right now.)
“I can’t believe that you would ever consider voting for him! I thought that you were smarter than that?!” Yelled Jasmyn. “After all, he can’t lead our country! I don’t trust him at all! Didn’t you see what he just said last night?! I mean he…”
Jeffrey, jumped up, throwing up his hands in protest, while simultaneously shouting out, interrupting his sister: “what? Did you just call me stupid? I never said that I was going to vote for him…after all, I’m a Christian and I’ll be honest with you, I don’t even feel that Christians should be involved in politics at all! I mean, it just seems that politics are a poor excuse for non-Christians to solve problems—I trust God to get it done!”
This was all it took to get his sister to jump up and get in his face…and at this point, I stepped in and decided to interject my perspective. I asked both of them to separate, sit down, and calm down. I hate to admit this, but I was to blame for this verbal attack.
Let me explain.
Jasmyn and Jeffrey, were twins and they had begun seeing me exactly one year ago. Their mother and father had gone through a really rough—and messy—divorce. They had moved to my state, and away from all their family and friends and basically started over. They had just graduated high school and today they had turned 18! This was kind of a big deal and I was working with them on continuing to plan how they could effectively manage all their multiple difficult life transitions, but they both derailed the conversation and all they wanted to talk about was finally being able to vote in their first Presidential election.
Now Jasmyn, Jeffrey, and their mother all love Jesus a lot and try to take living for Him pretty seriously, but their perspectives about politics are pretty representative of many followers of Jesus. So, what’s the right way to go? Should a Christian get involved in politics or steer clear altogether? And, if they should get involved, what type of involvement should it be? Does the Bible have any guidance on this issue?
Just Some Plain Common Sense
Before I get into what the Bible has to say about this complex topic, I think it’s wise to give you my honest opinion. It’s been my experience that when it comes to this issue, people can quickly lose their logic and civility. Sadly, there has been a long history of people becoming violent over the issue of politics; and it appears that this presidential election is no different. The recent assassination attempt of Donald Trump several days ago, is more evidence that many people appear to be acutely on edge!
Now, admittedly, I don’t give my opinion on many topics, because, frankly, I truly only care about what God has to say about this subject…but, really, I believe that my opinion matches with plain good common sense. Now ya’ll should know me well enough by now to know that I’m always going to tell you the truth, so here it is: Christians should most definitely get involved in as much politics as they can. After all, plain common sense tells us that worldviews and perspectives on reality matters immensely—and after all, isn’t that what politics is, really?
The dictionary gurus at Merriam-Webster define “politics” as: “the art or science of government; the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy; [and] the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government.” I don’t know about you, but I would want someone with a Christian perspective about life and reality to be helping to make decisions about how my city, county, state, or country is governed.
“Don’t Let it Touch!”
When my children were toddlers they both went through a period in their lives when they didn’t want their foods to touch, so we had to serve them all their meals in dishes or trays that had multiple little places with little walls for all their food.
“It’s touching Daddy! Don’t let it touch!” was a refrain screamed at me multiple times a day by my kids. My kids had some of the worst meltdowns if something on their tray or dish touched something else. I remember that like it was yesterday! Yes, parental PTSD is a very real thing. You might just think that this is a funny story, but I feel just as strongly about “the separation of church and state.” It might shock you to learn that this phrase is not found anywhere in the U.S. Constitution. However, the first part of the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . .” A clear (and correct) understanding of this foundational principle of American government is key.
Now, I’ll be honest with you, I don’t want the government (or anybody else) forcing a spiritual perspective on me. For an example of how a country runs without the “wall of separation” between religion and government, you need only look to many countries and regions in the Middle East, Asia, or Africa. Many countries, basically run as theocracies–meaning that a specific religion dominates political processes, culture and decisions–are a train wreck when it comes to human rights and choices.
Kingdom Agenda
Jesus Himself told His followers that our prayer every day should be: “May your [God’s] Kingdom come soon. May your [God’s] will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10, NLT). I don’t know about you, but it seems like getting involved in politics (from voting to more direct or specific involvement) seems like the most effective and efficient way for me to help bring about God’s kingdom on this earth. And, realistically, speaking, Pastor Andy Stanley has wisely noted: “Following Jesus will make your life better and will make you better at life.” So, again, logic dictates that if this is the case, why wouldn’t I want to do everything I possibly could to maximize that “better-at-life-ness” for as many people as possible?
The last thing that I want to say about this issue is that if you’re a Jesus follower, your relationship with Him doesn’t take a break when it comes to politics; in fact, a genuine Christian perspective can bring good things to others.
With that being said, let’s dive into what the Bible has to say about Christians and politics!
God’s in Control!
Make no mistake about it: God sets up kings and deposes them (Daniel 2:21) because the Most High is sovereign over earthly kingdoms (Daniel 4:17). A clear understanding of this truth will help us to see that politics is merely another method God can use to accomplish His will. And, God allows human beings to have free will, which many times has caused evil men to abuse their political power, meaning for evil, what God means it for good. (Does God choose our political leaders, or do we?)
Good Citizenship Award
When I was in elementary school I used to get something called a good citizenship award when I followed the teacher’s directions and treated my classmates with respect and kindness. In effect, living to win this award should still be every Christians’ goal every day. There is no doubt that our responsibility to government is to obey the laws and be good citizens:
“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished” (Romans 13:1, 2, NLT). God has established all authority, and He does so for our benefit: “For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right. It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you” (2 Peter 13-15, NLT).
Government’s Goals
The Apostle Paul summarizes the many goals of government, in Romans 13:1-8; in fact, it is the government’s responsibility to rule in authority over us—hopefully for our good—to collect taxes, and to keep the peace. Given all the things that our government can and should do for us, we must grasp the reality that our government cannot save us! Only God can; with that being said, where we have a voice and can elect our leaders, it’s only logical and wise that we should exercise that right by voting for those who best demonstrate Christian principles.
They didn’t seek to leverage their position in order to manipulate a government that reflected their own principles, as followers of God.
Christian…“Politician”?
Another reason Christians should care about politics is that the Bible contains numerous examples of God’s people engaging in politics as part of a wholistic approach to ministry that meets both spiritual and earthly needs.
In the Old Testament, for example, Joseph and Daniel served in foreign administrations and used their influence to implement policies that benefited society. In the case of Joseph, during a devastating famine (Genesis 45:9-12), God used his position in the Egyptian government to protect and provide for his extended family (which would become the nation of Israel). Queen Esther used her influence in the Persian government to save the Jewish people from a state-sanctioned genocide (Esther 8). The Prophet Jeremiah instructed the exiles in Babylon to seek the welfare of their new city. He also commanded them to pray for the city, “for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7). A thriving society would benefit God’s people as well as the city’s other inhabitants.
However, it’s critical to note that in all these Biblical accounts, there’s no record that any of these examples had an express goal of trying to turn their entire government’s worldview and perspective similar to their own; yes, they did the best and most ethical job they could do, through a solid work ethic, but they didn’t seek to leverage their position in order to manipulate a government that reflected their own principles, as followers of God.
America’s Great Hope for 2024 is…
One of Satan’s grandest deceptions is that we can rest our hope for cultural morality and godly living in politicians and governmental officials—whomever they may be. A nation’s hope for change is not to be found in any country’s ruling class. This statement may make some—even many—within Christendom uncomfortable…even angry, however, the church has made a mistake if it thinks that it is the job of politicians to defend, to advance, and to guard biblical truths and Christian values.
The church’s unique, God-given purpose does not lie in political activism. Our primary interest lies in changing hearts through the Word of God, and through each one of our lives. When believers think the influence of Christ works through government policy, they corrupt the very basis of a democratic republic—and more seriously, the mission of the church, for they are walking on dangerous ground.
Next Steps
Admittedly, this has been an especially stressful election already, and I’m certain that things will only increase in tension and uncertainty. That’s why with all that is happening in the world, I encourage you to immediately and consistently do five things:
1. Increase your daily time in Bible reading, study, memorization and prayer. God promises you that if you do this, He will bless you with peace
2. For a good Christian and historical perspective, check out The Great Controversy by Ellen G. White, specifically the last eight chapters (35 – 42).
God doesn’t want you to have unanswered questions about or be anxious, fearful, or panicked about what’s happening. He, instead, wants you to have understanding, answers, certainty, and peace!
3. Wisely choose your source for news, and even then, significantly decrease/limit social media. Also, seriously consider getting your news via audio. The news business has a saying: “If it bleeds, it leads!” In other words, the most shocking and outrageous things attract viewers. These kinds of can polarize, traumatize, cause hate, fear, anxiety, and panic. You do need to remain informed, however. If you absolutely feel like you may need to take a deeper dive about a specific news story, do the research yourself from reputable and objective outlets. Also, read or listen to the news, rather than simply watching it. Protect yourself and your peace.
4. Turn your mind and attention to beauty. God’s Word gives us the prescription: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things ” (Philippians 4:8). Take the time that you have saved in your day and take a walk or take up bird watching, or if it’s too hot—like it is now, look at some pictures of something beautiful, like a lake, tree, river, cloud, basically any type of nature. Listen to something calm and soothing. Some calm music or better still, the sounds of a rainstorm or a babbling brook or the ocean. At first you’ll be stressed out and you won’t be able to focus, because that’s your overstimulated brain (that’s your fault) screaming for more stimulation, but be patient and hang in there. Trust me, it’ll pay off. You’ll find that your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and your general stress level will decrease.
5. Serve someone else. Get out of your own head. Do something kind and loving and thoughtful for someone else. It doesn’t have to be huge or involved. It can be something as big as showing up to someone’s house to help clean it or as simple and uninvolved as sending a text, placing a call, or writing a handwritten note. This is an amazing way to let the dopamine flow. Get creative and see if you can outdo yourself. Why? Simply because God has done it for you, and you want to pay it forward!
God is the Great Hope for 2024!
The chapters of Revelation 13 & 14 make it crystal clear that both God and Satan work through great powers and political entities. However, political entities are not the savior of the world. The salvation for all mankind has been manifested in Jesus Christ. God knew that our world needed saving long before any national government was ever founded.
“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began . . .” (1 Peter 1:18-20, NLT). He demonstrated to the world that redemption could not be accomplished through the power of man, economic strength, military might, or politics! Peace of mind, contentment, hope, and joy—and the salvation of mankind—are provided only through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Never forget that God, and no one else, is the great hope for 2024—and for forever more!
