I have gone this whole election season without posting any political opinion whatsoever on social media, but I'm slightly breaking it here. The presidential election is right around the corner. There has, is, and will continue to be, controversy over who will become the next president of the United States. This is the first year that I'm eligible to vote in a presidential election, and look at the wonderful options I have to choose from.

Honestly, no candidate is ideal, but in a couple months, one of them will be our next president for the next four, and possibly eight years. Either way, people will complain. As I scroll through social media, as I'm sure most of my readers do as well, I see post after post bashing the opposing party candidate and giving a lot of what seems like glory to the presidential candidate of their choice. You know what I do, though?

I keep scrolling. Why, you might ask? As a Christian, I don't side with the Republican Party. I don't side with the Democratic Party. I'm not a liberal nor an independent. I'm not a conservative, nor do I identify with any political affiliation for that matter. I side with Christ.

First, let me say this. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being affiliated with a political party. As a citizen of the United States, it is your civic duty and your right to vote. We each have different morals. We each have different ideas about what we think should be done in the country. We each have different opinions, and guess what? That's okay. It's more than okay.

The following are my beliefs and opinions.

In the Bible, God tells us to obey the government. In turn, though, our government is supposed to treat us fairly, but if they don't live up to their part, as a Christian, we are still supposed to live up to ours. Ultimately, we have to pick someone, someone whom we think is the most suitable and meets Christian ideology to govern our nation. Although who we pick is ultimately up to us, the people of the United States, He knows who will be giving the inaugural address. He knew who would be running for office at this moment. Better yet, he knows what He's doing.

As a Christian, I don't side with any political party. My beliefs don't simply line up with any political parties beliefs completely. Although ultimately, I will vote for a presidential candidate, that doesn't mean that I support everything they do or say. It simply means that I have to pick the candidate that beliefs more so align with the beliefs of Christian theology. The reality of it is that the nation has wandered so far away from God that neither candidate nor in years to come, will likely possess complete Christian beliefs and morals. Even if they did, the citizens wouldn't support a Christian in office. Let's be real here.

As stated above, I'm not a Republican or a Democrat. I'm not a liberal, independent, or conservative. I am a Christian. I believe that although we have a fleshly, worldly leader of this nation, our nation, God is the ultimate leader. While I believe in following and respecting historical documents that say what our country is established on, I believe that the Bible and the laws that it has laid out for us to follow as Christians should be our hierarchy. I believe that God has ultimate control of who will be elected this November, and I believe that He has a plan. Ultimately, we're here to love and glorify God, not to glorify a presidential candidate.

When you vote within the next couple of weeks, don't vote with the mentality of a Republican or Democrat. Your identity isn't found in what political party you affiliate with. Your identity is found in Christ. Vote with the mentality of a Christian, all while trusting God and his plan for this nation, our nation.