I promise that I am not going to be one of these people that uses her blog over the next 2 months to explain why I think you should vote for a certain person or party. In fact, I am not even going to mention who it is I am going to vote for...although I think you might have a pretty good idea before I am done :-) I only have one purpose in this blog and that is to share why I think it is important we as Christians exercise our right to vote. And why apathy is a disease among Christians.
Have you ever thought about whether or not Jesus would have voted if he lived in our society? I am sure there would be many variations of answers to this question and I am not going to answer it with a yes or a no. But I think the Bible sheds some light on Christ's interaction with government officials. What I find interesting is that Christ never stayed away from those in Roman authority. If anything, he was bolder in his conversations with them. Just a few of his interactions included calling Matthew the tax collector as one of his disciples (Matthew 9, Mark 2 and Luke 5), the healing of the Centurion's servant (Matthew 8, Luke 7), the chief tax collector Zacchaeus (Luke 19), Jesus' trial before Herod Antipas (Luke 23) and Jesus before Pilot (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23 & John 18&19). Probably the most well known passage when it comes to dealing with the government was when the Pharisees tested Christ by asking if it was lawful for them to pay taxes as the people of God (Matthew 22, Mark 12 & Luke 20). His answer to them was to give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. Most people interpret this fairly literally as meaning that we need to pay taxes. This is true, but I think at the heart of this passage is also Christ modeling respect for the government that God has ordained to be in control at the time.
As Christians we believe that God is in control of the nations. Psalm 47:8 says "God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his Holy throne." We see this throughout the entire Bible as God ordained what nations would rise up and what nations would fall.(Isaiah 7-24 will give you further proof). The most prominent examples we see are Assyria and Babylon and how God used these godless nations for His purpose. These truths are exciting to us mere mortals who can rely on a God that holds the whole earth in the palm of his hand. Unfortunately, I feel that Christians have used God's Sovereignty among the nations to justify their apathy towards anything that has to do with the government. In this case, voting. I can't tell you how many times I have heard Christians say that God already knows what is going to happen and my vote isn't going to change anything. Yes, God does know what is going to happen and He is in control, but we have a role to play as the body of Christ as we live out His will.
Merriam-Webster defines apathy as a lack of interest or concern. Can you imagine what would have happened if Abraham was apathetic about leaving the land of his fathers, or if Moses was apathetic to the plight of the Israelites in Egypt, or if David told Samuel he didn't care about being King? What about if the disciples and Paul had just said "hey, God is sovereign, He will get the Word out one way or another, he doesn't need me." Yes, God's purpose would have been accomplished if these men had said no, but each of them had a role to play in the will of the Lord and He used them in incredible ways. Can you imagine the blessing they would have missed out on? Can you imagine what we would have missed out on?
Please don't think I am trying to elevate voting to a pedestal it doesn't deserve. The Great Commission is by far the most important mandate we have as modern day Christians. So please don't misunderstand the purpose of the preceding paragraphs. My goal is to show you just how important we are in the framework of the Christian body. God has roles for each of us to play and in the nation of America he has given us the role of constituent with the freedom to vote for our leaders and further his Kingdom. Why would you want to miss out on doing your part in a role that God has blessed you with? A role that not all people on this planet get to have.
Dictionary.com defines voting as a formal expression of opinion or choice, either positive or negative, made by an individual or body of individuals. I thought this was a great definition because it speaks to the positive and negative aspects of voting. Unfortunately though, Christians aren't bothering to even be positive or negative about the vote because they just don't bother to vote to begin with. Yes, there is the problem of feeling like we don't have a true man of God to vote for and that this country is sinking further and further into moral despair and there is nothing we can do about it. When we say this though, do we really believe that God is sovereign? There are two men for us to vote for this November, two flawed men that were created by God just as you and I were. They are no better and no worse sinners and just as much in need of the saving blood of Christ as you and me. The only true difference is that they have a platform God didn't see fit to give us. How do we make a choice between the two you might ask....I believe prayer is the key, followed by knowing the facts about each candidate and their platform. This will help you make the best decision. (I would love to tell you who I think that is...and again, you can probably guess based on my conservative principles and the fact I have been a staunch republican for many years. But, I truly feel that the vote is your choice and prayer is the key....no matter who the candidate you choose, because God has a purpose in how he speaks to you....especially if we believe He is sovereign).
Better wrap this up for those of you who are still with me. Basically, our nation is in a moral disaster. We have a choice to make as believers, will we try to turn the tide and make a stand by using our God given right to vote? Or, will we sink even further in our apathy and cause the generations behind us to live in a country that is no longer truly free? Are we really willing to hide behind the God we have pledged to serve and not get out on the front lines and be willing to stand for His mandates no matter the cost? If we aren't willing to do the small things, what makes us think God will ever entrust us with big things?
So go vote this November! Not because I told you to or because someone guilted you into it and not just because it is your right as an American. Go vote because you are a part of something bigger, you are a part of the body of Christ! I will leave my place of voting on November 6 with a smile on my face and joy in my heart no matter the outcome. Why? Because I know that God is Sovereign and I did my part in His plan whatever it may be!
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