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Hey Christian, do you have Election Blues?

I know many do for Facebook testifies of it. I could hardly get to sleep last night because my wife's phone was blowing up with notifications of various posts! It was sad to see. I don't like to see people frustrated and upset any more than the next person. Then I thought, maybe we as Christians are holding this a little too close to the vest.

Take a spiritual walk with me; let’s re-group. Perhaps, I can encourage you in your Faith, if not your country.

I wrote an e-mail to my cousin on Monday. He asked me for my election prediction, so I laid out my thoughts on the issue and concluded thus:

“Whoever wins will be MY President. But one will represent me to a far greater degree.
Like I've said, its a philosophical difference. I don't think evil of conservatives, I just feel that it is a view that discourages middle-class growth. I am a Patriot.”

My cousin responded:

“No doubt Michael I believe you are a patriot. Although we disagree philosophically we both agree on the goals that we want for our country and nation and our kids. We just have a different approach to get there and have different beliefs on how to get there; but no doubt we both want the same things and we both love the country to the same degree I believe."

I appreciate my cousin and our political interactions. I know where he’s coming from, and respect him for it; he knows where I’m coming from, and he respects me for it. We have an enjoyable and educational exchange of ideas, rather than some irrational battle of propaganda and hate. I believe America is the stronger with a healthy debate, but is weakened when hate and disrespect cloud the discourse.

As a Christian, however, politics is not the most important thing on my list of priorities. My life is consumed with church work and work at the church, with music practice, event planning, program scheduling, Bible study and teaching, Sunday morning worship, Sunday evening Bible study, and Wednesday night prayer meeting, not to mention my beautiful wife and three fast-growing children. I enjoy taking in a big football game, and love to hash out the college football rankings or the NFL playoff picture. In my life politics is in a distant realm, important to me, but not a daily concern. My citizenship is in Heaven, and my responsibility is to the Lord Jesus who redeemed me unto so great a salvation, and called me into the ministry of His Word.

I consider myself a Christian, husband, father, pastor, and Green Bay Packer fan before I consider my earthly citizenship. True, when I do consider my earthly citizenship as an American, I support the politics of the Greatest Generation and candidates in the vain of republicans like Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Eisenhower; and democrats in the vain of Wilson and FDR. The current political landscape leaves me with no candidate quite like any of those I have mentioned. In our day social issues have heated the discourse to the -enth degree, and I’m not sure we will ever see government and leadership like we once had, and I’m not sure whether the middle-class will ever regain the power and prosperity it once enjoyed.

But none of these things move me. For I believe in the true and living God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God of the living and not the dead, and the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I believe all things are working together for our good and His glory! I believe He is in control, that He is the Sovereign Creator, and that He is unfolding His plan for His creation. I believe that He knows the end from the beginning, and that He speaks of things that are not as though they were, because He will make them so. I believe in the God of Daniel “for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings… He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him.” And for this reason I may be content with Romney or Obama, with republican or democrat; because my God has the heart of a leader, whether king or president, in His hand, and “like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

Like the old song declares: “Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand; But I know Who holds tomorrow, And I know Who holds my hand.” This is why politics is so far down the list for me, and this is why I don’t believe politics has a place in the Church. (See “Beware Of Political Leaven” and “Peter’s Politics”) We are to be concerned with the things of Heaven, for our battle is not with flesh and blood, but with spiritual forces in high places. The Christian soldier doesn’t wage his battle at the ballot box, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual.

Christians need to get back to church and get busy for the Kingdom of God. Seek first His Kingdom. Jesus said if His kingdom was of this world then He would ask us to fight for a worldly kingdom; but instead He reminded us that His Kingdom is not of this world! Christians should be concerned with growing in their knowledge of God’s Word, and learning how to exercise their spiritual gifts, and doing their part to strengthen the Body of Christ, and giving aid to missionary outreach, and praying for back-slidden believers to return to the Family, and for lost sinners to be brought into the Family. This is our work, and we must work while it is Day, for the Night is coming when no man can work!

Whether your candidate won or lost yesterday means nothing for the Gospel and our responsibility to it. We can either be distracted by politics, or we can ask to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, that we might be content in whatever political state we find ourselves in, remembering that to live is Christ, and so accomplish the good works for which we were created.

Amen? C’mon, go ahead and say it.

Hope the "walk" was helpful.

In His Strong Love,

Pastor Mike