Tuesday, November 8, 2016 will be a day that no American will forget. On this day we will elect our 45th president. This election has been one for the books: a candidate who was not previously involved in politics and a female candidate who is very close to becoming our first female president. This election has been one of the craziest ever. Most people are either extremely passionate about who they are voting for or pretty confused about who is the best candidate to vote for. No matter who you are voting for or not voting for, there is one thing that remains: God is good, and He is still in control.
Many Christians are worried about this election. They believe we're going to have a president that respects our rights or one who strips of our lifelong beliefs. One candidate claims they are going to stick to Biblical principles while another is gonna to disregard them. Christians choose to beat down both candidates instead of praying for them. They preach that the candidates should be loving of all people, but then bash the candidates themselves. Why is this? One of these candidates will be the leader of this great nation for the next four or eight years. Instead of praying they will make decisions that help our country, we are degrading them.
Tyler Watson wrote a great article that perfectly describes what both Clinton and Trump are: they are God's children just as much as preachers in the pulpit and worshippers in the pews. Watson writes, "If Jesus sees Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton as worthy of God’s love then surely we should too. The fact is neither Clinton nor Trump is perfect, but neither are they utterly evil. We must reject the temptation to think they are and engage in practices that help us seem them as God does." We have placed Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton on a pedestal, poked and prodded at them until their flaws oozed from them, then destroyed them. When it comes down to it, they are humans. Like the rest of us, they sin. They make mistakes. They are human. And while they should be held to a higher standard than most, we should not expect them to be perfect and holier than thou.
Tuesday is going to be a hard day regardless of which side you fall under. Christians should fall onto their knees and pray hard for the next leader. We should be a light and encouragement to them instead of tearing them down and destroying their image. Whether you voted for our next president or hoped that would've been kicked out of the race, the only thing we can do at this point is pray. Pray they will make the best decisions that will build this country up rather than tear it down. Pray that we the people can support them the best way we can. Pray that we as a nation will fall on our faces and realize that no matter who becomes our next president, God is in control and He is still good.
