Who are you voting for?

So, have you decided yet? The national election is about a month away and there are many things to decide. "Who should I vote for?" is probably the main question you are thinking about. Normally I don't like to get into politics in a forum like this, but since this is a big issue, it is one that needs some attention and some perspective.

As you think about who you should vote for, you may ask yourself several questions. "Who is better qualified for the job?" "What are the candidates track records?" "Who thinks and will run the country like I would?" A popular one is, "Am I better off now than I was four years ago?" If you respond with a no then you'll probably vote for someone new, and if yes then you'll stick with what's working.

However, as a Christian, all of these questions have a larger question that must be answered first to shift all these other ones into the proper light. We must ask, "Is the Kingdom of Christ better off now than it was four years ago?" Have you thought about that one? All of those other questions neglect this main focus we as Christians should have. The first questions show a focus on me; what's best for me and my life. However, what's best for you might not be what's best for the church. In fact, times of hardship often bring the most growth in the church.

So, before you throw our current president away and blame all your problems on him and continue telling your disparaging jokes at his expense, I would encourage you to think about these few things. There are more, but I'll just mention these three:
      1. As the agenda for same-sex marriage has been pushed in our culture, more people than ever are digging into scripture to see what God's word really does have to say about this issue. While it is sad that more people are accepting this idea of same-sex marriage, more still are coming to the conclusion that this is the wrong step for our country to go as is evidenced by the 30+ states that have passed a bill defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
     2. Worldwide, the church is exploding, especially in China, Africa, and S. America, all places without consistent democracy, and most without a leader elected by the people.
     3. As Christians, we have more opportunities than ever to speak about the Gospel to our friends and neighbors about the gospel. With venues like facebook, twitter, blogging, and many others, there are tons of ways to speak about the truth of scripture to people.

Perhaps more important than all of these is our belief in a sovereign God. Do you believe that God placed President Obama in the oval office, just as He placed George W. Bush, Clinton, Reagan, and all the rest before him? God doesn't make mistakes. He does exactly what is best for the growth of His church and the expansion of His Kingdom on earth

Also, despite what our government may look like, it is run by God. Every decision by our President comes from the Lord.

Proverbs 21:1 "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will."
Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."
Proverbs 16:33 "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord."

Do you believe these verses? Do you trust that God is in control? Are you excited to submit to whoever God places over this country, knowing that is the best person for the job and the best person to help grow the Kingdom? Will you submit to that leader, obeying God's command in Romans 13 to honor those in authority over us (not just obey, but honor)?

As you think about who you will vote for, make sure you think beyond your own situation, beyond what will be best for only you. Because, in the end, you may just end up voting for yourself, when really you should be voting for someone else.