Christianity and Politics
Seven things every Christian should do in politics
Life can get tense during a heated political season. This has certainly been true of the most recent one. Sadly, people have and will lose their temper and say cruel things. Families have been and will be fractured. Some will feel betrayed. But it doesn’t have to be that way. And I’m pretty sure that Jesus doesn’t want for His followers to be tortured by the political process. So, what are we to do?
Regardless of whether your candidates won or lost, here are seven things that every Christian should do in regards to politics.
1. CHOOSE TO LOVE EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF THEIR POLITICAL VIEWS.
Jesus didn’t choose His followers based on their political views. In fact, He never dealt with the subject of politics, because His eyes were on eternity. When you see people through the lens of eternity, their political views don’t matter – the only thing that matters is their soul.
But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1st John 4:8 (NLT)
2. CHOOSE TO PRAY FOR ELECTED AND APPOINTED LEADERS REGARDLESS OF THEIR AFFILIATIONS.
We don’t necessarily have to agree with someone to pray for them. In fact, the Bible is clear that we should pray for those who are against us. Paul encouraged his young friend Timothy to pray for their political leaders and it would be hard to imagine that Paul was a fan of the leaders of his day. After all, they falsely imprisoned him, beat him, and eventually they killed him. Nevertheless, Paul said “pray for them.”
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.
1st Timothy 2:1-2 (NLT)
3. CHOOSE TO HONOR THE GOVERNMENT REGARDLESS OF OUR FEELINGS.
No earthly government is perfect. And yet, God has asked us to honor and obey our governments. The only time it is right to disobey is if the government writes a law contrary to the Bible. In every other case, we are called upon to obey and honor our government.
Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.
Romans 13:1-2 (NLT)
4. CHOOSE TO BELIEVE THAT GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL.
When times are confusing and we’re not sure what the future holds, it doesn’t feel like God is in control. And yet, at followers of Christ, we are asked to believe that He actually is ordering the course of history. Our faith can be strengthened when we look at the events surrounding the Cross of Calvary. Certainly, it did not look like God was in control. And yet, we see that He was divinely orchestrating the events that would lead to the most pivotal event in the history of mankind – the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Remember, He was in charge on the day of the crucifixion and He is in charge today.
He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings.
Daniel 2:21 (NLT)
5. CHOOSE TO BELIEVE THAT GOD WILL USE THE RESULTS FOR HIS GOOD.
Because we cannot peer into the future, we cannot always understand how God uses the events of our lives and of the world at large for our good. Nevertheless, we are called to believe that the things we like and those things that we do not like are all pieces that God can and will use to bring people closer to Him.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Romans 8:28 (NLT)
6. CHOOSE TO LIVE A LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD REGARDLESS OF WHO IS IN OFFICE.
We are not called to please ourselves, or even those around us. We are called to live lives that are pleasing to God, and we do that by fulfilling His purposes. So, regardless of who is or isn’t in leadership, make the decision to please God by living out His purpose for your life.
For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.
1st Thessalonians 2:4 (NLT)
7. CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON ETERNITY
Our lives seem to be in a constant state of flux and it can become overwhelming to try and keep up. And yet, over the many thousands of years of humanity’s existence, there is one thing that has never changed – men and women are eternal souls. We are not just flesh and blood, we are spiritual beings. Politics, medicine and technology will all continue to advance, but one day you will leave it all behind. Therefore, choose to focus on what will last forever.
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
2nd Corinthians 4:18 (NLT)
CONCLUSION
Regardless of your political persuasions, remember the words of Jesus where He says…
Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
Mark 8:34 (NLT)