"If (insert candidate name here) gets elected, then I’m going to move to (insert foreign country.)"
I can’t believe the things I have heard come out of people’s mouths during this election year. It has become a common thing for Americans to threaten to move in order to avoid a particular presidency. The flippancy of these comments make me shudder. Why do we think immigration is even a topic in this country? There is opportunity, safety, education and a decent life for us in America. We do, however, have our flaws and there is no way some regular person is going to fix the entire country, give us the best economic plan and the best rulings on social justice issues. Wake up from your idealism sweetheart.
As much as you have seen the Clintons on TV over the past 40 years, they are just people, and Donald Trump’s money has no power over the ultimate authority. God will never let go of his rule and reign. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are mere mortals. Sometimes we forget that the God of heaven and earth has a plan that is much bigger than any political platform.
I do understand that we want to have a perfect candidate that aligns nicely with our personal views, but the truth is we cannot put our faith into anyone no matter how much leadership potential they have. People will let you down, people are not above making mistakes or breaking promises. What is important to understand is that God will never leave or forsake us despite what we feel will happen to our country. It is our responsibility to “not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God,” Philippians 4:6-7. We cannot write off the election as something that is too far out of our control and decide not to care. God wants us to be involved, educate ourselves, and pray constantly for the candidates, the issues and for the state of our country. Refocusing our eyes on this election in the greater arc of God’s plan will help us to reassess where our trust should really lie.
On the other hand, the Bible tells us to respect the authority of our government including our leaders.
“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God;, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.” -- Romans 13:1-2
This is as clear as it can be. Notice how it doesn’t say you have to obey only the leaders you agree with or have similar political outlooks as. It’s extremely easy to criticize and speak harsh words about our leaders because we legally can. What a great freedom we have to be able to be free to speak in whatever way we choose. With great freedom comes great responsibility and as Christians this means that we need to respect our authority figures through our speech, attitudes and thoughts. Jokes, bad mouthing, name-calling and personal attacks may seem harmless from afar, but as we see in the above verse, rebelling against our government in this way is the same as rebelling against God. We may personally disagree with them, but we must show them respect.
For some reason, elections can really bring out the ugly in people. It’s most important to remember who you are and what you represent as a follower of Christ.
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” -- John 13:35.
