How to Vote as a Christian in the Upcoming Presidential Election
Yes, I just went there. There is a right way and a wrong way to do anything, including voting for President. There is the way a Christian is to do it, and there is the other way. So here we go…
1. Do NOT abstain from voting altogether. I know elections are tough for Christians because we can’t find a candidate who lines up with us on every subject. But if you think about it, Jesus wouldn’t line up with us perfectly because we are all so weak and in need of continual guidance ourselves. And since we are commanded to submit to the authority of the government (Romans 13:1), we should do our part in selecting who will govern. If you do not vote at all you really have no right to disagree with those who rule over you.
2. Pick the candidate that best represents the God of the Bible. There has never been a person who ran for any office that could stand in God’s place as far as righteousness is concerned. But there has always been one candidate that stood for morality to some degree more than the others. Issues about the economy or other peripheral matters are not as important as issues about morality. We are not taking material possessions with us. But we will stand before God on the Day of Judgment and have to answer for what we believed and practiced morally.
3. Do not compartmentalize your faith. You can’t be a Christian part-time. It is inconsistent to decide that we can put our faith aside in order to support a certain candidate or political party. Some people would vote for the devil himself if he happened to be running under the political ticket to which they have traditionally ascribed. How can we say we love God and His word if we are willing to give up what we believe when we go behind a curtain?
4. Pray. Pray earnestly and fervently. Pray for the country. Pray for every elected official. Pray that God will lead them and that they will lean on Him for answers. Pray that we will be a nation that follows the Lord and respects Him as the supreme authority in everything. “Be thou not unbelieving but believing.” The ship has not sunk. The war is not over. There are still opportunities to serve the Lord. In every generation, there have been those who have been faithful to the Lord. No matter what happens with the election it will still be our job to love God and be His people. We can do this and God will help us if we are willing to repent and seek His face.
With these thoughts, I wish each of you who read this the very best. I love you. The God of heaven loves you. May we all in love and unity do our very best to serve Him and bless others together.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14
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