by Jared Hardin
September 30, 2024
As an avid political spectator, I like elections. I enjoy following the polling, the campaigns, and the issues being debated. Over the last few years, however, as a Christian and a pastor, I have found elections to be disheartening and even harmful to our spiritual health and to our witness as Christians in the world. As the 2024 campaign is in full swing, here are 5 reminders for Christians trying to navigate American politics.
Our system may not be perfect, but it's far better than what most Christians have lived under throughout history. We should be thankful that we have the right to vote, and we should stand up for that right and pray for fair and honest elections for generations to come.
The Bible commands us: "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness" (1 Tim. 2:1-2). For Christians, we must pray for whoever is in authority over us. We should want our leaders to succeed in governing well and for Christians to be able to live free and godly lives. Regardless of who wins this November, we will continue to pray for our leaders at Mt. Pleasant.
And even before our leaders are elected, we should pray for the candidates. Pray that they would be honest and clear about their plans. Pray that they would seek to serve for the good of the country, not their own egos. And here's an idea: pray that God would guide your decisions before you even go to the polls to vote. James says that if we ask for wisdom, Christ is generous to give it to us (James 1:5).
There are some things worth dividing over. If members of our churches don't believe the gospel, we should break Christian fellowship with them. The desire for unity has its limits. But there may be times when our brothers and sisters in the church vote for different candidates than we do. They may be wrong—in fact, they may even be sinfully wrong in how they vote. But that doesn't mean we should separate our fellowship from them and treat them as unbelievers.
It's easy to focus on the drama and the ugliness of the campaign. But as Christians, we should stay focused on the issues at stake. Whose policies will keep us safe? Whose policies will protect our freedoms? Whose policies will protect the vulnerable, like the poor and the unborn? These are questions Christians must ask.
This isn't just on the national level. In reality, your vote carries a much stronger weight in state and local elections. State and local governments pass laws that affect our daily lives in many ways. So do your homework, and vote accordingly. For example, state governments are in the process of passing laws to protect unborn lives. So your vote for pro-life governors and state legislators is more important now than it has ever been.
In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar saw a vision in which a large, beautiful statue (representing the kingdoms of the world) was struck and demolished by a small rock cut from a mountain (symbolizing Jesus Christ). In other words, human governments may appear to be enormous and all-important. But in reality, Jesus is going to come back and all the kingdoms of this earth will pass away. They will be replaced by the eternal kingdom of Christ.
Before we are citizens of America, we are citizens of the kingdom. This gives us a lot of freedom this fall—freedom to remember that whoever wins, that politician's short time in office will fade away into the grand history of God's plan.