While you, my children, are not all wild and crazy about politics, these are some thoughts I have had as I see believers engaging in politics and discussing what they believe and why. Hopefully you and others will come to find a place that allows you to be involved and honor Christ as the same time.
**Aliens
1 Peter 2:11-12 [11] Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. [12] 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.
We do not belong here on earth, nor any particular country on earth, but we are strangers and aliens in this world. We must remember that while we live here, we do not belong to this world but rather to the Kingdom of heaven.
**Our citizenship is in the kingdom
Philippians 3:20-21 [20] But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Not only are we aliens, but as Christ followers, our citizenship is in Heaven and not here on Earth or the US. We must make sure that we keep our first priority as foremost, which is to be citizens of Heaven before our citizenship in America. This means we honor Christ before we honor our country and make sure that we make citizenship into THIS kingdom as welcoming and attractive.
**Did our current leaders and their decisions catch God by surprise?
Romans 13:1 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.
There is no authority in any government that is a surprise to God, nor one that is not placed there by God. We must remember that God is not interested in making sure that this county keeps to its heritage, nor stays easy for us to live out our Christian lives, but rather that He is about drawing the lost to Himself and making us more like Him. This is done through His sovereignty and wisdom and may not, and most likely IS NOT, the way we might do it. I think He has earned our trust, so I am willing to give it to Him.
**Is our conservatism/liberalism an idol?
For those of us that tend to be passionate about politics and government, or the desire for the lack of it, it may well be a good and regular practice to look at ourselves and ask ourselves, and God himself, if our desire for government and it being “right” has replaced Christ as our first love and become an idol.
**Where your treasure is …
Is America being a “Christian” nation a treasure for us, or do we feel our treasure threatened. Some of us have great lives and live very well, and I know I am concerned about my future and how much money I will have to live it. I, and all of us, must make sure that we don’t allow this to become a distraction from responding to God in a way that is pleasing to Him.
**Why are you surprised at their behavior, they are sinners?
When we think of our Government and how they do things, why are we surprised that they behave in ways that are selfish and in their own best interest … Unless they have been redeemed by Christ, they are slaves to sin and have no option. To expect differently from them is to expect them to go against their nature.
**We were enemies before God called us.
Colossians 1:21-22 [21] Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. [22] But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.
This is probably my most important point. While we might feel that the “other party”, or Radical Islam, or atheists, or anyone else is out to destroy our “Christian nation”, we need to remember that we too were just the same. Before WE were redeemed we were Enemies of God and his purposes, and without His grace in our lives, we would be no different than those we get so angry with. Let us be humble and remember the phrase, “but by the Grace of God, there go I.” We would do well to remember that we are certainly no better than those Republicans/Democrats, and probably worse without God choosing to bestow His Grace on us. Let’s be civil in our discussions, listen to the other point of view and learn, let’s be Gracious in our speech, and “Walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel.” Let us be salt and light and reflect Christ’s love for us all in all we do so that He is made Famous and we can be used by Him to draw others to the Grace we are so unworthy of. Let us put Christ before politics and make sure we remember that “The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing.”
Letters from a Fathers Heart 