Some Pre-Election Thoughts

It’s hard not to watch the news and feel like we need to immediately have an opinion, answer, or reaction to what we’ve seen. The news cycle and the clamor it creates seem to be built off of an innate human ability to project assurance, clarity, and authority even in the most complex situations. Politicians are not the only blowhards in the world. Nearly all are guilty. Just check your social media.

So with an election happening tomorrow, I want to help us all do a little heart check. Regardless of outcome nothing is ever as good or as bad as it seems. God is gracious and compassionate and merciful to the righteous and unrighteous alike. 

Now for Christians, we of all people ought to have tempered (as in reasonable, not angry) responses to what happens. So I am going to point you to some realities that can slow down that reactive, confident (or panicky as may be the case) response to the election.

We know the end of the story. Tomorrow’s election is just a blip in the radar before God reveals the new heavens and the new earth. A kingdom made from every nation is our hope, not a nation filled with politicians trying to create a kingdom.

The end of the world is only brought about when God decides so. Neither candidate can bring that about. They, along with everyone else, will one day bend their knees before Jesus when the Father has decided that that should happen. Like every other nation and ruler, our new president will answer to and submit to Jesus.

In the meantime, Christians have plenty with which to concern themselves. Whatever changes have or may come the task at hand for believers remains remarkably consistent through the ages.

·      We serve a Creator and Redeemer worth worshiping. This is our eternity. There are others who don’t know this reality and they face judgment if they don’t come to know our Redeemer. Working on helping others know Jesus can certainly keep us busy.

·      The New Testament is filled with “one another” passages, most of which we do poorly. We can bear burdens, love, be at peace, comfort, fellowship with, and build one another. For those within the church we can do far better with all of these "one another" exhortations. We can do so zealously knowing that the world watches and sees Jesus when we do those things well.

·      We can bear fruit. As individuals we can surrender to God and invite his Spirit to help us do the work of dying to ourselves so that we can show more and more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control.

Too often Christians allow themselves to be consumed by things that, while important, are not ultimate. The things just mentioned above are ultimate and eternal. We will worship forever. We will be with “one another” forever. We will bear fruit as we conform to the image of Christ for all eternity

The election is big. It is important. It’s consequences may be catastrophic or glorious but it is only for God to judge that.

In the meantime, let’s be sure that we do not neglect the little acts of mercy, the little fights for justice, or the little acts of love that God puts in front of us. The ballot that you fill out may not be an act of love but the smiles you give on your way in or out can be.

When stakes seem the highest that seems to be when God uses the most ordinary acts of faithfulness and love to draw people to himself. Gladly be an ordinary person of peace and mercy and love this week as others race around gloating or grieving. Be assured that a calm heart and Spirit-filled response in the days ahead will get noticed. No doom and gloom, no end-time projections, just faith, hope, and love.