Our Political Responsibility

July 11, 2023

We just celebrated Independence Day. This country would not exist if our founders, most of whom were Christians, had decided they shouldn’t get involved in politics. Politics and the cultural chaos they engender can breed a lot of division, but no matter where you stand, there's an important and convicting reality: We're all called to pray for those in authority.

"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." 1 Timothy 2:1-2 NIV

We can pray for our leaders regularly in ways like these two sample prayers:

Please give strength and wisdom to our national and state leaders. Guide their decisions and may they always put love first. Surround them with people from all walks of life    and many backgrounds and perspectives. Bring them people of high moral character and spiritual maturity to work with them.

God, we pray for our presidential candidates. Bring strong, wise, and spiritually mature people to surround them. Speak truth to them through the voices of those they trust.    Give them wisdom to reject the voices of those who would urge them to seek only personal power and glory. Let them know deep in their souls that only with and through      YOU is the victory won. Only through Your power is our country and our world made whole.

While we pray for our leaders, we need to remember where the real battle lies. It's spiritual. It's easy to get consumed by politics and to get caught up in an "us vs. them" mindset, but Ephesians 6:12 offers us some powerful realities to consider. We’re not fighting people, but powerful principalities: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm" (NIV).

In the midst of this battle, we are called to be salt and light affecting the culture for the good. The culture should be different because we are here. As Andy Stanley says, “Christians should put their ‘faith filter’ in front of their ‘political filter.’” We fail Jesus and damage the faith when we allow politics to define us as individuals.

This doesn’t mean “Don’t get involved!” In fact, you should be as politically informed and involved as possible. Everybody should vote their law-of-Christ-informed conscience. As Jesus followers, it’s “one nation under God,” not “one God under nation.” As you remember that, you write letters, vote, and share your concerns, but above all, be loving and kind. There's no place for mistreating people, canceling people, maligning people – especially as Christians. Period.

“When a cultural issue intersects with the teachings of Jesus, we definitely should say something. The problem is when we do that – which we should – we do that knowing that if I take a more left-leaning position on gun control – which I wouldn't, because in my mind that's a very complicated issue – but if I did, then I realize that the Republicans in my church are going to put me in the bucket of everything that the Democrats believe, because there's no middle ground now. There's no nuance. It's tricky.” – Andy Stanley

You and I must seriously consider that and be prayerful as we say anything. Don’t casually or impulsively shoot out anything, verbally or in print. There are people at stake. You represent more than you.

But again, as Stanley says, “Once upon a time, a handful of disenfranchised Jews crushed between an empire and a temple maintained their faith in a resurrected Savior and changed the world. So we’re good to go.” We can impact our world for Jesus and good.

Quietly trust yourself to Christ your Lord, and if anybody asks why you believe as you do, be ready to tell him, and do it in a gentle and respectful way. 1 Peter 3:15 TLB

As our culture gets more and more deeply enmeshed in hate-speech and destructive behavior, and the typical Christian is more willing to be defined by their political views than by their behavior as Jesus-following disciples, put the following quotes by Andy Stanley somewhere and read them regularly. Ask Jesus to help you get it right.

“When you follow Jesus through the Gospels, He was not here to win anything the way that we define win. He refused it. When people considered Him an enemy, He refused to return the favor. And if I’m a Jesus follower, then my mission in life is to replicate the character and the nature and the tone of Jesus and to live to the best of my abilities.”

“This generation correctly expects our generation who claim to be Christians, not to hold the correct political views, but they actually expect us to act like Jesus.”

“What the next generation is looking for is not correct politics. What they’re looking for is a Christ-like posture. And we can maintain a Christ-like posture regardless of our politics.”