The Bible tells us all Scripture is inspired by God and is good for doctrine, correction, and instruction (2 Timothy 3:16). This would include verses such as Psalm 118:8 that tells us it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. People of our great country put a ton of confidence in political candidates. To be frank, elected officials and those seeking to replace them are not God, regardless of the R, D, I, or any other politically-charged initial next to their names.
Strike up a conversation with most people these days and odds are it will get political. This is completely natural, expected even. This is an election year, and the primaries will help determine which candidates appear in November’s general election. This is especially the case for presidential candidates. Regardless, we should avoid being the person quoting candidates and their so-called solutions as if they are the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. Seriously, I have seen and heard many things from self-identified Christian voters, including how they “love Ted Cruz” or “thank God for Donald Trump.” As for Hillary Clinton, some believers at least adhere to her social gospel viewpoints.
Going into the 2016 election, it is important for us to keep our focus. Politics is important, and no one is here to debate that. But, especially during the election cycle, it is easy to make politics the most important thing in our minds and hearts. I heard one conservative Christian voter say, “The most important thing for us is to take back the Senate.” He was talking about helping center-right lawmakers regain a majority in the U.S. Senate, thereby making a GOP-controlled Congress. Why is that a problem? For starters, the most important thing for us is not to take back the U.S. Senate. The most important thing for us is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15). To be sure, my occupation as a broadcaster is to tell you the news, political or otherwise. Meanwhile, our duty as American citizens is to make an informed decision when we vote, and we all should vote our consciences. But to say that the most important thing for us is to take back the U.S. Senate is flat-out wrong, and the same goes for any branch of government.
God alone will save this country, not the man or woman leading things with a pen, a phone, or a well-written speech. Speaking of God, there was a day when people looked to the church house for answers. Now, the statehouse and White House have become the places for solutions. Just recently, I heard a man on CNN describe President Obama as a minister and grief counselor ahead of a televised town hall-style meeting. Seriously? Our president needs a good minister just as much as I do, and the same goes for anyone reading this article. This is perhaps one reason we continue having the same problems over and over. Yes, we have problems because we live in a sinful world. But having immoderate attachment or devotion to something (i.e. idolatry) and thinking it will fix everything is no less sinful. God does not like it when His people look elsewhere for help. At the same time, God is willing to help any man or woman, be it a politician or private citizen. That is why we should pray for our elected officials, and not just the ones we agree with that day, week, month, or year. The Bible tells us to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:2). In fact, we are told to pray for all those in authority so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. If you read the next verse, you will see that this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. God is our Savior, not a male or female political candidate.
It will not always be easy, and some people may want to pray something along the lines of, “Let his days be few, and let another take his office” (Psalm 109:8). However, we would do that politician and ourselves a much better service by praying that he or she has things such as wisdom, good health, and good counsel. And on the subject of good counsel, pray that all those in authority would get together and read the book that we keep talking about called the Bible. The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord (Proverbs 21:1). You just need to go to the Lord in faith and ask that He changes the wills and ways of elected officials. When hearts and minds are changed, we will see real change, not just words on a poster or teleprompter. Trust me. On second thought, trust the Lord. After all, it is better to put trust in Him than to put confidence in man.
