Whether you like it or not, President Trump is our president.
Although I voted for President Trump, I am not writing to tell you to “just stop complaining” like you’ve probably read hundreds of times on Facebook. Nor am I writing to tell you that your views are wrong. I’m sure you have your valid reasons for not liking our new president; everyone is different and has his or her own set of beliefs – that’s just simply how it goes.
Have Your Voice Heard: Become an Odyssey Creator
Rather, this article is meant to bring some peace of mind to those who simply cannot fathom the idea of President Trump. You heard me… President Trump. You might as well get used to reading and hearing that striking title. I mean, you have to start somewhere in your coping process.
That said, the next time you feel your blood start to boil and your heart race when you hear the title “President Trump,” rather than thinking, “He’s not my president,” consider these facts:
A peaceful transfer of power is vital to American democracy
If you’re an American, you should root for your country regardless of the political party you identify with. We are one nation under God – not one nation under the right or one nation under the left.
With the help of the media, we are actually taking steps backward and becoming more divided than ever before. In order to have a peaceful transition, we must come together as Americans and remember that success comes through compromise and understanding.
President Obama illustrated this transition in the best way, "You take the baton, you run your best race, and hopefully, by the time you hand it off, you're a little further ahead. You made a little progress," he said. "I want to make sure that hand-off is well executed because, ultimately, we're all on the same team."
The support of President Obama
President Obama himself has said that if Trump succeeds, we all succeed. Although I do not agree with President Obama’s political stance on many issues, I do believe he is a good man with a good heart. I also believe that President Obama wouldn’t say anything he didn’t fully agree with.
That said, the next time you feel outraged at the presidential outcome, remember this statement professed by President Obama:
"We are now all rooting for his [President Trump’s] success in uniting and leading the country… The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy, and over the next few months we are going to show that to the world."
Hate will not change the outcome
Hating just makes you a miserable person who feels completely out of control. Think about it, when has hate, anxiety or sadness ever changed a situation? Never. So what’s the point of hanging on to hatred for the next four, maybe eight years?
1 John 2:9-11 talks about avoiding hatred in our world:
“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.”
The Bible tells us to respect our governing authorities
I can indisputably say that much prayer went into this election– maybe more than any other election in our nation’s history. In the eyes of many, neither candidate was necessarily the ideal presidential candidate. Despite this, many Christian churches prayed relentlessly and even conducted sermons solely focused on the importance of God’s hand in this election.
Romans 13 tells us, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” (verses 1-2)
I truly believe that with the help of relentless prayers among Christians, God guided America's choice in selecting the candidate that was intended to be in this presidential position: President Donald J. Trump. I don’t know the answers and I don’t know the reasons, but I know that one day I will find out the details behind God’s master plan.
