A very important mid-term election is coming up in the United States in a few weeks and I know that by now many are fed up with politics. Unfortunately, politics plays a very important part in our lives, like it or not, and much of it involves determining how much of your own income and your own personal freedoms you will be allowed to maintain. Sadly, however, much of politics is about power and money and government is the only earthly entity I know of that has the legal right to take your possessons from you with the force of law.
While that might sound cold and hard, it's important to realize the distinction between giving freely of ourselves and our resources and doing so to avoid some type of punishment, be it a fine or whatever action might be taken. It is for this reason that it is so important for Christians and all who love freedom to participate in the arena known as public elections. Who we vote for is a personal decision, just as it should be, but as Christians, we should consider one overriding factor as we evaluate who we vote for. That overriding factor is what God would have us do.
We all fail at so much of what God asks of us and that is because we are mere mortal sinners, not godlike, no matter how hard we try. But God wants us to live for Him first and if we are to try and do that, we must spend some time seeking His guidance in how we should vote, just like everything else in our lives. But how do we do that? After all, there is so much information being bandied about, some outright false, some misrepresented in a more subtle way and even more which is true only because it leaves out those things that might cast disparity. So again, how do we get around that in finding the truth?
Well, if we are believers by faith and pray earnestly, read the Holy Word regularly and study it and meet routinely with those who share our faith, both in church and other related activities, we begin to develop discernment. Discernment allows us to see through the hype and pretty pictures and canned position statements in the search for truth, and spiritual discernment comes with faith in practice.
So, what I'm saying is that we should gain as much information as we can find on each of the candidates, study it and take it to God in prayer. We must ask Him to help us see the "light" about each candidate, both pro and con and from that we will be able to make a good choice. Now, it's not easy and it takes work and we have to use our smarts and our spiritual strength in the process. But, remember, we must do it with God, for He wants us to make the right choice. He gives us free will, but He is always ready to help us when we are uncertain. And since we are all made in His image, doesn't that make sense?
With just a couple of weeks to go, that's a lot to put on our plate, yet it is so important. Don't forget that those elected are given a lot of power to impact our lives, so isn't it important to try to make a decision that benefits what we believe through our faith in the Lord? When we put God in the equation to work for us, His children, the decision will be a good one. Work the process through to its conclusion, good luck and don't forget to vote.