Pundits and pollsters say this election may be one of the closest elections in American history. It’s good and healthy that Christians are engaging as they seek to help shape the policies that affect the flourishing our neighbors. But what should our posture be as the people of God when it’s all over? How do we reflect the love of Christ to our neighbors and our friends? Here are five important postures:
1. Gratitude
This sounds counter-intuitive. Can we find something praiseworthy in a divisive, partisan season? Even if we will be grateful when we can stop getting hit with text messages, mailers, and TV ads, we can find room for gratitude that, unlike most people in human history, we even have a politics to complain about.
Consider that right now, nobody in totalitarian regimes like North Korea, Russia, or China is complaining about partisanship. In fact, if you were to ask the average citizen in those countries if they’d trade places with us, they’d gladly accept that offer. America is far from perfect, with lots of glaring problems and issues—hence a political campaign—and yet we are still the freest, most prosperous nation in human history.
We have the opportunity to choose the people who hold public office and the policies they enact. We may wish our point of view had more influence or got more votes, but at least we have some measure of influence. Today, billions of people long for that kind of freedom. So, we should thank God for the privilege of living in America, regardless of who wins the election. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 urges us to “in everything, give thanks.”
2. Prayer
In 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Paul urges Timothy to pray for “or everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” November 5th will put a different president in the White House. He or she deserves our prayer. We’ll also see several new Senators, House members, mayors, state legislators, judges, governors, and local school board members. Christians must make it a regular practice to ask God to direct those in office to govern fairly, righteously, and as a “God’s servant for good” (Romans 13:4).
It’s important to pray for leaders, whether or not you agree with them or voted for them. Paul urged Timothy to pray for a ruthless Roman emperor whom neither of them would have supported if given a choice, a man who arrested, jailed, and executed Christians. On our worst day in America, we’re not anywhere close to living under this kind of tyranny. I am sobered by how often I complain about politicians compared to how often I pray for them. We should make this a regular habit, both personally and in our congregations.
Click Here To Read More (Originally Published at The Baptist Review)
