I read an article a few days ago and took time to process the scary statistic contained within the article. The article said that “approximately 30 million evangelical Christians didn’t show up to vote” in the last Presidential Election. This stirred within me feelings that were very un-Christian yet I also felt compelled to get those feelings in check so that I could write this blog.
In the United States, we have been given the right to vote. If you were born or are a naturalized citizen of this great country, you are given the right to vote for those in power. However, when I ask those who tell me they don’t even go out and vote the response I get is the usual one…”I don’t vote because it doesn’t make a difference”.
This is an odd but understandable thought process. When I inquire further, about their reasoning, they felt that since they voted the last time and their candidate lost, it was obvious that the government chose the leaders. However, this is simply not the case.
Have there been times where questions arise as to the validity of voters? Yes. Has there been a time or two where voting machines have miscounted? Sure. But no matter how you view the one or two occasions, voting is an extremely important right that we all need to exercise.
In Scripture, Christians are commanded to obey the leaders over them otherwise we are sinning against God. (See 1 Peter 2 for context). Does this mean we have to agree with their stances? No. In fact, the disciples showed where disobeying the leaders was okay with God.
In Acts, we see the disciples preaching the Gospel at various places. When they are brought before the leaders of their day, they are told to stop. They were beaten and put into prison, yet they left praising God for “they were counted worthy” to suffer for the Gospel. The only time, we are to disobey our government is when speaking about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So how does this coincide with voting? (What I am about to tell you is a personal belief and is subject to change at any time.) When Christians decide not to vote and give up their rights, they basically give a “slap in the face” for all who serve our country and disobey God in exercising those rights.
Why would I say that not voting is disobeying God? Because we are told to submit to the authorities over us. This doesn’t mean to simply stand and do what they tell us. However, the word submit has the essence of service. A similar passage in Ephesians gives us a better understanding.
In Ephesians 5, when the Bible says for “wives to submit to their husbands”, it simply means “wives follow your husband’s lead”. This does not mean you have to take everything he says and follow it. But what it does mean is that if the direction he wants to take the family is within the guidelines of Scripture, help and support him in that endeavor. Can you disagree with him? Yes. Can you still give your opinion? Absolutely. Can you say that you feel differently and guide him to seek God further before making the decision? Sure. We, men, need our wives to do these things. Many times God speaks to us through our wives because we are to hard-headed and deaf to listen to God’s voice.
The same holds true for our leaders in government. We are to submit to their direction unless it falls outside the scope of God’s Word. We are to pray for our leaders. We are to advise our leaders. We are to let our leaders know we are behind them. This is the true act of “submission”. Just as we, men, are sometimes hard-headed and deaf to what God is saying, so are our leaders at times. (Unfortunately, I think it is more so now than ever, but yet again, that is my opinion.)
This November, we are being given yet another chance to exercise our right to vote. We are being given an opportunity to obey God and tell our military personnel that we are behind what they are doing. No matter, who you decide to vote for, just go out and vote.
With this in mind, over the next few blogs, I will be going over the Constitution of the United States and the Amendments in order to show how our society and leaders have sorely fallen away from the original intent of the writers. There will not be any hate language or “high blood pressure” intentions. Simply put, it will be a fact driven understanding of what our forefathers intended them to represent, a way for a group of people to be free.
You may or may not agree with what I say in the next few blogs. That is okay. You have that right. However, unlike what our society has been saying recently, I also have the right to write my opinions as well.
This November, don’t give up the rights that many have fought and died for, but go out there and show our leaders that you care about this country and the freedom it represents. God bless and exercise your freedom today.
J.D. Clemente 