What to do if the election upset you...

It has been about a week since that big night in our nation's history. One week since we watched the first African-American male to become our Commander and Chief. One week since we saw one of the largest landslides in electoral votes since Reagan swept all except Minnesota. One week since we saw our collective nation put it's hope in a leader that promises "change." And it's been one week since I heard many people from here at home to people nationwide grumble and spew ugliness from their mouths over the new President Elect.

The unfortunate thing is that many individuals conveying their utter hatred for President Elect Obama are professing Christians. The same people vocal about their union of beliefs and political allegiance; the same folks who are claiming God in the elections; the same people who claim God is love are showing disdain for the elected officials in our government. Now let me reiterate I am not advocating the views, policies, or ideologies of those that won their respective elections. However, that is not the point now! The way our government is designed is for the elected officials to have a designated amount of power and authority but that power and authority is given to him/her by the people and only for a given time.

When I began hearing and seeing the backlash by some (definitely not all) professing Christians my first thought was for those individuals that are skeptic of the faith and of our God, the one true God. How would they interpret our actions? How would that individual that is not sure there really is a God and if there is would he really want to associate with that God evaluate our response to this election? How would that individual be able to reconcile our actions with what we say we believe?

Here lies the challenge before us all who believe in Jesus: we must live our lives believing that He is good, He loves us, He is working all things for our good because He is good and that He can be glorified in our world today. And we must trust Him with what we cannot control. We cannot just believe this but we must live this. Anyone who is skeptical of Jesus and Christianity is always looking to us for legitimate hope or for us to fall on our face...and sometimes both. I don't blame them for this in the least. As believers in Christ we are not perfect and we will make mistakes. That is unavoidable. However, our lifestyle and mindset should be one of humility and love to the world around us that doesn't know Jesus.

So how would God want us to respond if the election upset us? We should pray for President Elect Obama. Plain...simple. We should pray for our leaders. There is not a single person who can thwart God's plan in human history! People have tried...they always fail. We need to pray for Obama to have wisdom during his presidency. We need to pray for God to use him for His purposes. We need to pray that God will save him and redeem him if he is not already a believer in Jesus. Our country needs prayer. Our leaders need prayer regardless of their faith and tax plans they want to enforce.

God has allowed or put (depending on how you view God's sovereignty) Obama in place. While scripture is the ultimate authority for us our elected officials are also in authority over us and until the elected officials require us to do something that goes against God's will in the scriptures. At that point we must stand for truth!! Definitely! But until then we are to submit to their authority.

1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
Romans 13:1-2

My fear is that our negative speech and absence of grace towards President Elect Obama and those who voted for him will lead them from the cross instead of to the cross. We will make mistakes because we are human but if our heart is in the right place God's grace will fill the gaps. So let's go love people who are skeptical; let's love those who don't love us; and let's pray for our nation and our leaders. Why? Because God will get the glory and we can be a blessing by leading people to Him!! Isn't that what our goal for life is?

I love you all,

Nathan

Why pray for the Election?

So, it is finally here...well, almost. It is Monday night, November 3, 2008. Tomorrow we, as Americans, get to exercise one of our greatest liberties and responsibilities. We get to vote. And what an important vote it is. Now I could get into all of the reasons why it is an important vote, however, I would rather spend a quick moment discussing why it is vital that we not overlook praying for the election.

The scriptures teach that God is the one who appoints kings and rulers to there proper places. We see this in 1 Samuel 8 and 9 when Israel is demanding a king to rule over them like the other nations. Up to this point they had Judges but God was to be their king. Israel though, seeing the nations around them ruled by a human king, began demanding of Samuel that he annoint a king of Israel. So, after warning them of how a king will treat them and the Israelites still demanding a king, God allowed them to have what they thought they wanted. God told Samuel to annoint Saul king. Not long after in 1 Samuel 13 God is angered by Saul's lack luster performance as king and lack of faith in battle. He then prophesies through Samuel that Saul will be removed as king and God will insert a king after his own heart. That king was David. This is just one example of how God puts rulers and kings in their place for a reason and purpose.

So that begs the question...why even pray about this matter? What good would it do to pray if God is the one who appoints rulers; good and bad? Well, scripture also teaches that God is moved by our prayers! That is astounding to me, really! As I was considering this truth earlier today I was trying to think of different places in God's Word where we see Him change plans (so to speak) and be moved by the prayers of humble servants. Sure enough, God brought an example in my daily bible reading this very night! Isn't God awesome?!! I have been reading through Isaiah and just so happened to come to chapter 38. Check this out:

In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the
prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: Set
your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover." 2Then Hezekiah
turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3and said, "Please, O LORD,
remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart,
and have done what is good in your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 5"Go and say to Hezekiah,
Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I
have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. 6I will
deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will
defend this city. Isaiah 38:1-6

Wow! Now I think that is pretty cool. I mean we have Isaiah roll up on the scene and essentially tell Hezekiah that he needs to get things ready to continue without him because he is going downhill quick and will not live. I love how Hezekiah responds. He prays earnestly. He pleads with His maker. He throws himself on the mercy seat of God. And what happens? God hears his prayers, sees his tears, and God's heart is moved. That is amazing!! God loves us and does hear our prayers. And sometimes, God even is moved! There are many more examples in scripture but I wanted to bring this out tonight.

So, the challenge to all of us is this: during election day pray continually for our nation and that the officials that are elected all over our great nation from President to local mayor would be people that love God, fear the Lord and seek Him with all of their heart! You never know what might happen in the election then! Forget what the media says about who is supposed to win because our God reigns!! Then, trust Him that regardless of the outcome He is sovereign over all things and has our joy and best interest at heart!!

For His Name!

Nathan