I will rarely delve into the world of politics with this blog. Not because I’m uneducated about them or uninterested in them, but because I have been called to be Biblical and not political. No matter who wins today’s election, half of this country will be excited and half will be upset. That is a dangerous place to be. What Jesus said in Matthew 12:25 and echoed by Abraham Lincoln holds true today: A house divided cannot stand.
I’m not saying we should all agree politically so we can be united. A single party system is what we fled. It’s ok to have differing views. Each side has things that it does better than the other, but we fail to see that. We have allowed ourselves to become so entrenched in our party’s ideology that we can’t see any good in the other side. We have vilified them and have allowed that vilification to destroy relationships with friends and family.
Somewhere along the way, we began to put political party ahead of country and God. We would rather see our party win than to do what is right for our country. We have things backwards somehow. We should put God first, country second and party third. That is the only way forward. Whoever wins today will not move us forward because we are so deadlocked into our party first thinking. We would rather have gridlock than to compromise (equating it with losing) to move the country forward.
As a Christian, my responsibility is to pray for whoever is elected today whether I like them or not. Romans 13:1 says that those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. That doesn’t mean I’m not to vote. It means I should seek God about whom I am to vote for. If the person I believe should be elected isn’t, it doesn’t change the Scripture or that I voted wrong. It simply stands that he is who God has appointed and it is my responsibility to pray for him.
It’s not just a political problem. It’s a spiritual problem. What is happening politically is a reflection of what is going on spiritually. We are divided too. Even among Christians we fight against each other rather than to work together. We were called to be one body with one purpose: win the lost. One denomination is not better than another and not one has all the answers. We are all different parts of the same body with different functions. We, like our country, were meant to work together despite our differences.
I Timothy 2:1,2 says, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity (NLT).” We are to not only intercede for them and ask God to help them, we are to give thanks for them. Whether it is your city council members, congressman, senator or president, you are to hold them up in prayer and ask God to help them make decisions that affect your life.
So today, don’t just vote. Pray. Pray for those who are voting to make wise decisions. Pray for those who will be voted out and seeking other things in life for their families. Pray for those who are elected or re-elected to get past party lines to do what’s right for our cities, states and nation. I Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing. That means we should pray for the leaders we elect today tomorrow and beyond.
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 