"Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in authority have been placed there by God. "
Romans 13:1
ElectionDay 2020. It’s almost here. And, like much that has happened in this strangeyear, there is more division, negativity, misunderstanding, and outrightanimosity than in recent elections. Even within faith communities, it’sRepublican versus Democrat, Conservative versus Liberal, I’m Right versusYou’re Wrong. Everyone is adamant about his or her preferred candidates; mindsare not being changed.
Jesus didnot belong to a political party. If he had, it would have been the Love Party,because that was and always will be God’s basis for everything. It’s easy toforget that. One side says the world will end as we know it if the oppositionis in power. The opposition believes the same thing of their adversary. Onenewscaster backs this, another that. Who is telling the truth? For whom shouldwe vote? It’s a very important election. What to do, what to do?
It’shelpful to look at Scripture to get a handle on this election and the currentcrop of potential leaders. A leader is someone who influences the thoughts andactions of others, to achieve a specific outcome. Some are good, some not somuch.
Badleaders exclude God from their lives and pursue their own desires, even ifothers are harmed in the process. What signifies a “bad” leader according toScripture?
Trusting in human resources rather than God. (Isaiah 31:1)
Being open to lies. (Proverbs 29:12)
They oppress others. (Proverbs 28:15-16)
They openly attack God and his people. (Revelation 13:6-7)
They make people groan. (Proverbs 29:2)
Conversely,a good leader’s first desire is to follow God humbly and derive values andstrengths from the Lord. What does the Bible say about “good” leaders?
They are servants to all. (1 Kings 12:7)
They care about the poor and needy. (Psalm 72:12-14)
They rule with integrity and skill. (Psalm 78:72)
They rule with wisdom. (Proverbs 8:15-16
They use impeccable judgment. (Proverbs 16:10)
They bring stability by adhering to justice. (Proverbs 29:4)
They govern by loyalty and truth. (Proverbs 20:28)
They govern in righteousness. (Proverbs 16:12-13)
Add tothis list honesty, standing against the wicked, searching to find the facts ofa matter, preserving the rights of others by clear thinking, being surroundedby wise counselors, and delegating responsibilities to trusted others. It’squite a list, all God-breathed.
Are theseattributes attainable? The answer is a resounding yes…if the leader is seekingGod with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength. The qualifier is that everyearthly leader is a human being. Free will and sin are dragged into theequation, even in the best of us. If we are searching for perfect, then theonly choice for president is Jesus 2020.
How do weelect Jesus as President of the United States? Trick question. This comingTuesday, in the United States we will vote for a choice of two human beings.Both are imperfect, flawed, sometimes maddening, certainly anything but perfect.Even if our favorite candidate seems to say the right things, how do we knowit’s the truth?
That’swhere the good news comes in. Yes, we all need to research issues and those whoare running for office. And we have to vote. But no matter who wins, it will beGod’s choice. That’s not to say the winner will be a “good” leader. The Biblerecords many people in leadership who fell under the “bad” category:
Rehoboam,Solomon’s son, listened to his peers’ advice instead of wise counsel. Israelsplit into two nations, Judah and Israel.
QueenJezebel led her Israelite husband Ahab into the worship of Baal. She had thetrue prophets murdered and called for Elijah’s death.
King Herodthe Great sought to kill newborn baby Jesus. In doing so, he ordered theexecution of all male children two years old and under in the vicinity ofBethlehem.
It’salmost impossible, from the perspective of the ages and from humanunderstanding, to grasp why God would permit people like these to be in power.But he did. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Which means he stilluses whomever he wills to accomplish his purposes. Because we now see througha glass darkly—have an imperfect vision of God’s reality. We don’t getit.
For firstcentury believers, it had to be impossible to understand why God put Saul ofTarsus in a position of power. Many were imprisoned or killed at his behest.And yet at our point in history, believers can see that his conversion tofollow Jesus changed the world—for the better.
DickEastman, in his book, The Hour that Changes the World, begins with thisstatement: “Prayer is the divine enigma—that marvelous mystery hidden behindthe cloud of God’s omnipotence.” That phrase, ‘the cloud of God’s omnipotence,’says it all. God has unlimited power and potential. It is partially hidden fromus now. On earth, we can’t even hope to fully know what he knows. The clouds ofhis godliness keep much wisdom in the heaven above, where the Son shines. Onearth, so much is obscured.
What we doknow is that God has got this—whatever “this” may be. Including our nation, ourupcoming election, and our wellbeing. If, to further his kingdom, he put Herodin place as King, forcing Mary, Joseph, and young Jesus to flee to Egypt evenas many others were slaughtered, we can certainly trust him to handle ourtemporal concerns in the here and now.
As weapproach the election, something becomes clear. Jesus is in the running for2020 as he is for all time. We vote for him by praying for God’s perfect will.By being knowledgeable about Scriptural principles, and by trusting that heis able to do more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that isat work within us. (Ephesians 3:20).
Let’sresolve to come together, not as political rivals, but as the body of Christ.And to listen when God tells us: “If my people, who are called by my name,will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wickedways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will healtheir land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
May Godtruly bless America.