fbpx
Brandon Gross

Brandon Gross

A Christian’s Guide To Electing The Next U.S. President

I think like most Americans, I have watched the latest media coverage to the build up of the Presidential Election mostly through a face-palm. I’ve been amazed at how similar this election is to a reality tv show. I’ve also found myself, like many Americans, confused, frustrated and downright disappointed that this is all we have to choose from.

I’m not the type of person who talks politics all that much. Perhaps I’ll have a few conversations with my close friends and family, but I do my best not to become too absorbed into the black hole of politics… otherwise known during this time of year as social media.

But, I have seen so many Christians jumping into the political black hole that I decided it might be helpful to shed some light on a few things before we all self-implode.

So, I give you A Christian’s Guide To Electing The Next U.S. President:

1. God Does Not Have A Party or A Candidate

I know, I started off with both guns-a-blazin but I really think we need to get this one out of the way. The Republican Party is not Christian… There I said it; neither is the Democratic Party.

Being “Christian” is reserved as a decision for someone to follow the teachings of Christ. An organization can not do this but the people who make up an organization certainly can. It sounds like I’m saying the same thing here but they are very much different concepts.

These are man-made structures that comprise of ideologies and systems. However, they can have Christ followers in them that help shape those ideologies. Where we often find Christians getting tripped up, with political organizations, is the assumption that the one with the most Christ-like ideologies is, therefore “more Christian.”

All I’m trying to say is we need to stop looking for an organization to be Christ-like. We will only continue to be disappointed when they don’t live up to the hype and hope we place on them.

The responsibility to be Christ-like is a decision we make for ourselves and reflects to those around us.

2. The Lesser Of Two Evils Doesn’t Make One Side “More Christian”

I think most Christians would agree, there is no perfect candidate. They all feel broken in some way. Honestly, I feel like the brokenness we are seeing in the candidates is simply a reflection of our own brokenness in this country.

We are just as ugly and our sin is just as foul smelling. Yet, God still loves us, offers us grace and welcomes us home to spend time with Him. Our job in this election is not to choose the “lesser of two evils”. It is to see through that and place our hope in Christ regardless of the options presented to us and trust that God is a master of bringing hope into hopeless situations.

3. The President Is Not God’s Big Plan To Fix Our Country

The church is designed to be God’s physical hands and feet to the world. This responsibility falls to the church changing to be more like him and less like what they think they should be.

For that matter I don’t believe God’s plan is to “fix” our country. I know this might come as a surprise but the USA is not God’s golden city on a hill. We are, however, deeply loved by our Father and He wishes to have relationship with us that in turn reveals the depth of His love to others.

He can accomplish this regardless of who the next president is. God can and does use leadership to accomplish His purposes, but His plans are much bigger and much farther reaching than the next 4 years.

Christians who decide to be more like Christ by simply being more loving, gracious and forgiving can do more to change this country in less time than any President could ever accomplish through political means.

4. Relationships Matter

Just because someone is not voting/supporting the candidate you are supporting doesn’t make them a harlot and idiot. Now this also doesn’t mean everyone is right either.

There are rights and wrongs and people can be on either side but the thing about being on a side is everyone believes their side is the right side. All this does is create division. We can disagree and still be loving and gracious with one another.

Relationships are the building blocks of trust and I believe they are sacred. As Christians we are to be known for our deep love and that love should be apparent through all our relationships.

Through relationship we discover we are more alike than we are different, and through relationships we are able to see past outward facades to the innermost thoughts of a person. This gives us greater ability to be gracious with one another when we disagree.

This is why relationships are so important. They reveal what we can’t see on the outside and what is revealed makes all the difference in our ability to see past our disagreements.

We all know political talk can be an ignition source equivalent to throwing gasoline on a campfire. Don’t assume your brother or sister in Christ is lesser than what they are just because you disagree. Relationship may be the only means you have to discover common ground and by removing relationship you simply burn a bridge that creates two islands connecting no one.

5. Find Your Hope In Christ Not In Man

This sounds like one of those cheesy Bible bookmarks left over from VBS but there is some truth to this saying.

When we try to find our hope in man it comes down to one word… control. We want to feel like we have had, even in the smallest form, a hand in controlling the outcomes of our future.

We place our faith in ourselves and our ability to choose what is “good” while always finding out the disappointing truth that there is no one who is good. Placing our hope in Christ frees us from ourselves and our hunger for control. To someone on the outside, it may appear as uninterested or lack-luster in action but hope in Christ is knowing that whoever is the next president, whatever the future policies are and whatever the state of the world to come… He is still the God who loves us and sacrificed for us.

It’s like that old church saying, “He is still God and still in control.” We reject this often unintentionally because giving up control is hard to do. The desire for control is our sin nature rising up against God and shouting “I could do better, just wait and see!”

It is our flesh pointing a finger at God and believing He is withholding from us and has just left us out here alone. Yet, He promises He never will leave us… even when we leave him thinking the opposite.

So Who Does God Want Me To Vote For?

Woah there, sorry but you’re not going to find the answer to that one here other than perhaps a question instead:

Does God have someone He would vote for?

That changes the perspective a bit. God doesn’t even need a President to accomplish what He sets out to accomplish. But, I think God also recognizes we live in a broken world, with broken (but well-intended) systems and for many people this election has left them feeling hopeless, confused and frustrated.

They feel like the future of our nation lies with this election and they don’t want to get it wrong. To them, I think He would remind them of who He is and that He is still in control, regardless of who is President. I think He would encourage them to spend time with Him, ask for His peace and understanding and allow Him to align their hearts with His… then step in faith.

To them, I think He would say, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” – Matthew 11:28-30

Final Notes:

Listen, I know an article like this raises more questions and comments than it answers.

I’m ok with that.

Opinions can run hot and furrow deep around topics like this. My intent here is not to point you to one candidate over the other but instead to point us all toward Christ. This sounds like a “Christianeze” saying but it is an accurate and fruitful one.

The unknown is scary if we see it only from our perspective.

That’s why it is so important to remember and walk with God when faced with decisions of uncertainty. That relationship helps realign our hearts and reassures us of who He is and what He can do. We are reminded that we are not alone and what appears as confusion and chaos to us does not appear that way to Him.

It’s in this relationship we find the true meaning of the words “I will give you rest.” We find rest for our worries because we realize by trusting Him we no longer have to worry if we don’t want to.

There is freedom in this rest.

So, if there is any one thing I want you to take from this article it is to remember and walk with Christ. All the answers we need will be found in Him.

Share this post

Related Posts