The Most Important Election…Kevin H

Over and over we will hear that this is the “Most Important Election of our Lifetime!”, or maybe even the “Most Important Election in our Country’s History!”

We will be told again and again that the “other side” is destroying America and this is our last chance to save it.  Repeated warnings of the dangers and evils of the “other side” will be hammered into our psyche.  We are told even now that we are not free and that the whole system is gamed and we are being played and controlled by a sinister, obscure Deep State and Establishment….. COVID was just a little experiment they ran to soften us up and train us for their much greater devious plans.

Now, I do think some of these warnings actually hold a bit more validity to them this time around than they normally do, not because of the likelihood that if one side wins the election we can expect accomodation to the continued degradation of a number of traditional values that have long been held in our country.  But rather given the fact if the other side wins, we would end up with a president who seemingly has no moral compass whatsoever, tried quite strenuously last time to overthrow democracy and a lawful election while drawing in millions of people into his deception along the way, and this time will put many more people in place who will go along with him and allow him to do whatever he wants without restraint.

However, for those of us who follow after Jesus Christ, I believe we can turn to Scripture to gain a much greater and much healthier perspective.

““Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  And why are you anxious about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” – Matthew 5:25-34

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

While we can apply these teachings to pretty much every aspect of life, our current age of political hype, angst, and devotion would seem to be a prime candidate for these teachings to be employed.

“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.  Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” – I Peter 2:11-12

“and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” – I Thessalonians 4:1-2

This instruction looks quite different from the culture warrior temperament that has become common in American conservative Christianity, wherein there is drive to gain power and control and win cultural and political battles, and acting as if Christianity does or should own and rule the nation.

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.  Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” – Romans 13:1-2

“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.  For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.  Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.  Honor everyone.  Love the brotherhood.  Fear God.  Honor the emperor.” – I Peter 2:13-17

“‘Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?’ But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.’ And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, ‘Whose likeness and inscription is this?’ They said, ‘Caesar’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.'” – Matthew 22:17-21

So Christians in New Testament times lived under a cruel and immoral Roman government, far crueler and far more immoral than our government today, yet God still instructed them to honor and obey the government and to pay their taxes (without ever even a hint of saying anything like the taxes were shameful or a robbery of the people).  This mindset is quite the contrast to much of what we see in the church today, especially over the last three to four years.

“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.'” – John 18:36

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” – Philippians 3:20

Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world and our full citizenship is in that Kingdom, a Kingdom that is forever guaranteed, and not in America or any other temporal earthly kingdom.  That does not mean that we should not care about our earthly citizenship, but these truths ought to preside over our focus, thoughts, and priorities.

The most important election* of our lifetimes has already happened, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the United States or its president.  May we strive to live our lives reflecting such.

* = For the non-Calvinist, feel free to replace the word “election” with “decision” or whatever pleases your theological framework.  🙂