January 7, 2007 - Essay on Presidential Election 2008
In regards to the upcoming presidential election this year, there are a few things that most people seem to be overlooking in their discussions about who is the best presidential candidate. Most people seem to have an opinion about who should be elected or not. I’ve read posts, blogs, and personal e-mails about why I should vote for a particular person, but again, I’ve noticed something missing in these messages. Everyone seems so focused on trying to convince others to vote (or not vote) for a particular person, that I fear the greater obligation to us as Christians is being overlooked.
And by the way, I am not pointing fingers at anyone who has endorsed (or not endorsed) a particular candidate. My husband and I have not totally made up our minds yet, but I can tell you that we are considering much more than what is being addressed in the media and most other discussions going on about these candidates.
Here is some food for thought:
First of all, in Acts 3:16-18 Peter was speaking to listeners at the temple (Solomon’s Colonnade). He reminded the people that they “killed the author of life” and “asked that a murderer be released.” Though Jesus suffered and was killed, Peter says, “Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.” This may be a dramatic example, but our leaders are going to act in ignorance, just as we will. They are not going to be perfect and certainly will have committed past sins and will continue to sin even as our leaders. I point out this verse simply because one of the big tactics of the media (and supporters for any candidate) is to point out all the faults of the opponents. Instead of talking about the “specks” in the eyes of the opponents, perhaps candidates should start by saying, “Hey, I have this PLANK (sin) that I am overcoming …” Anyway, you get the idea.
Proverbs 29:26 reminds us that “Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the LORD that man gets justice.” In our modern society, we may not think we are seeking an audience with the president, but let’s think about this for a minute… As a homeschool “community,” we do want a president that is homeschool-friendly. In other words, we want him to be aware of our needs and desires and willing to meet them to a degree. We want him to pay attention to what we believe is proper and right. In modern day terms, I would say that is similar to seeking an audience. Most of you know me well enough to know that I am ALL for having a president that supports our God-given rights to teach our children as we feel led, but we need to remember that only the LORD can give us justice. We cannot rely on the election of a particular person to make that happen.
1 Corinthians 2:5-7 states, “so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.” Again, our faith must not rest in who is elected, but rather on the LORD. Also, just another comment about this passage – note the comment about one of the reasons we should not rely on the wisdom or rulers. It says they are “coming to nothing.” I have heard several people comment that there are just “no good candidates” this election year. There is something wrong with all of them. Of course there is something wrong with all of them!! I could really write on this topic alone for a while, but I won’t.
If you look in the Bible, there are many discussions of rulers who seem to mirror many of the rulers we have in our midst today. (I am not pointing fingers at anyone in particular who is currently holding office, has held office, or is running for office. I am simply pointing out some Bible verses that we would be wise to study.) Isaiah 1:23 states, “Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's case does not come before them.” Does the man you’re considering electing take money from special interest groups? Have you seen any statements about why they want to be in public office? Do they seek to uphold families and Biblical principles or do they simply say they are a Christian? (Does it even matter to many people today if they say they are a Christian? Do they bear fruit or just claim the vine?)
With all that to think about in regards to rulers in general, what does the Bible say about what we should look for in a good ruler?
Proverbs 31:4-5 tells us what NOT to look for in a ruler (king). These two verses state, “It is not for kings, O Lemuel— not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.” I personally love these verses. This is an example of God’s humor, I think, in reminding us what beer can do to the mental capacities. You may not agree with my humor, but does the candidate you support “crave beer”? Do you even know? When candidates are being interviewed, are we asking the right questions? Are we asking Biblical questions or just things we want to know the answer to in order to support our own agendas (homeschooling, women’s rights, abortion issues, etc.)?
Now here is an interesting thing to think about when looking for good qualities in a leader that the Bible points out. Quite honestly, there are many examples in the Old Testament about “good leader” traits. You don’t have to look hard in the Old Testament to find traits in rulers that pleased the Lord:
Reliable (1 Samuel 29:6)
Without fault (1 Samuel 29:6 – Notice it says “without fault” NOT “without sin.”)
Discerning heart (It greatly pleased God when Solomon asked for this instead of riches and honor so God gave him riches and honor in addition to a discerning heart / wisdom. 1 Kings 3)
Repentant when they do wrong (2 Samuel 12)
These are just some of things we see in the Old Testament that show us traits we should be seeking in our leaders. It is difficult sometimes to see these traits or know whether or not the candidates have them when all we are allowed to see are the smiling publicity photos and snippits of pre-recorded news interviews. This is one of the reasons I do think live interviews and also debates are important. You will see more of a candidates true character come out in these live events and the media can’t sway them so much (for good or bad).
There are also some things I wanted to point out from the New Testament in Timothy and Titus. In both of these books, there is a lot of discussion about the elders and overseers. Now I’m sure someone is going to send me an e-mail and argue that this is totally different than a political candidate so I’ll just tell you up front that I already realize this. The words for “elder” and “overseer” are usually used interchangeably in the New Testament, but they are not used interchangeably with the word for “ruler.” (Also, I definitely think churches should adhere to these principles for their own leadership, but I think a case could still be made that as Christians we should also seek leaders with these same traits in our government.)
Here are some of the traits listed in 1 Timothy 3 for an “elder” or “overseer.”
Above reproach
Husband of one wife
Temperate
Self-controlled
Respectable
Hospitable
Someone who can teach
Not a drunkard
Not violent, but gentle
Someone who doesn’t argue
Someone who doesn’t love money
A good father who manages his own family well (This point is reemphasized and in the next verse reminds us again that these verses are talking directly about the church.)
Not a recent convert
Have a good reputation
It goes on to give similar traits required for deacons. Then, in Titus 1, it gives similar traits for elders, overseers, and deacons. There are a few added traits, such as:
Hospitable
Not overbearing
not pursuing dishonest gain
one with self-control
Again, these traits were listed for rulers of the church, but in the New Testament we do not receive so much instruction on rulers and kings as we did in the Old Testament. Basically in the New Testament, we are frequently reminded to keep our eyes focused on the Lord and share the gospel with others while we await His return.
Now this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be active politically. On the contrary, it is essential that we remain politically active. We just need to do it while also reminding ourselves that our justice will come from the Lord, not the president.
So, with all that in mind, here are some more verses for you to think about:
Romans 13 says, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.”
Most Christians are familiar with these verses, but we really need to think about them. Do we really believe that the authorities that exist have been established by God or have they been established because a particular group voted more or because someone counted wrong or whatever? If you believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God, well, you know what, it states right there that “The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Does this mean we have to OBEY everything that authority tells us to do? I do not believe it does. Verse 1 tells us to “submit” to the governing authorities, but when that submission is in contradiction to God’s laws (such as with abortion or murder), then we do not OBEY the authority. Even the disciples were punished, beaten, and imprisoned for disobeying even though they submitted to the authorities.
Hebrews 13:16-18 states, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.” I just thought these were neat verses to share in regards to rulers.
Titus 3:1-3 says, “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.” Again, these are just neat verses to remember.
And finally, we need to keep 1 Peter 2:12 in mind at all times. No matter who our leaders are or where we are living or what horrible conditions we are in (and America is living in luxury, by the way, nowhere near horrible conditions. I’m only stating this because I know people are reading this from other parts of the world and perhaps you are living in horrible conditions, but you are a Christian.) It does not matter what our situation is, we are to “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” That is what we are supposed to be focused on. I personally believe we are to participate in government and we absolutely should vote (some Christians don’t think so), but even if we do, we need to remember that we are personally accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to live good lives, glorify the Lord, and await his return.
Let’s remember that no matter what happens here on earth or in the United States with this year’s presidential elections, our hope is in Jesus Christ. Our hope is not in a democrat or a republican or an independent candidate. Our hope is not with homeschooling (although I almost cringe to admit that one!). Our hope is not with retaining traditional family values or putting an end to evil practices like abortion. There are many things that would make our lives as Christians easier, but I’ve found that sometimes when things are “easiest,” that’s when we glorify God the least!
May we all be in prayer about who we individually should vote for and let us be in prayer that we will remember to give all our glory to God. If the candidate you vote for is elected, praise the Lord and remember to pray for all our leaders. If the candidate you vote for is not elected, praise the Lord, remember Romans 13, and remember to pray for all our leaders.
Addendum
I originally posted this on the blog on my website (www.sonyahaskins.com) and I've already received feedback that my points are basically invalid or pointless since we don't have leaders like this anymore. Congratulations! If you've figured this out, then you should be able to understand the whole point of this essay... We should do our best to vote responsibly and as Christians, I think we should look for candidates with the qualities set forth for good leaders in the Bible, but it is true, most candidates just fall waaaay short these days. So, the whole point of my discussion was this: Our hope rests in the Lord alone. We will find ultimate justice through the Lord alone. Elections are very important and I certainly have an opinion on who should or should not be elected (as does everyone seems to). I just think instead of telling others to vote for a particular person (or not), we need to continually remind ourselves and others that no man is going to "fix" the world. Jesus came to do that!
Sonya
Comments
Feb. 1, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Patiecake
I agree with you on this. We have no idea who yet but we haven't seen anything positive yet!