The Most Important Thing to Remember about the Upcoming Election Season
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- Published Dec 14, 2023
Every year in November, there is an election day. Most of them come and go with little fanfare. However, things usually get revved up when there is a presidential election, which we are going to have next year. Unfortunately, most of the political speech you hear today is not really about a positive vision for our country. It is typically attacks based on what the other candidate is planning to do. It feels like the goal is to produce fear because they know fear is a far greater motivator than optimism. If you don’t believe me, just listen to most of the political ads and how much time they spend telling you how bad the other candidate is.
If you listen to this long enough, their strategy will work. The fear and anxiety they peddle can creep into your heart and cause you to worry. I know because it happened to me, which is why I am writing this article. I want to remind you in the same way I had to remind myself of one main thing that helped shape my perspective of this every political season.
One Thing I Had to Remind Myself about the Upcoming Election Season
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm”(Psalm 20:7-8).
The most important question I had to ask myself is who am I trusting in? When you get consumed with election coverage, you may believe one person can “save” our country. When you get this mindset, you can easily put your hope and trust in that person.
When you listen to the arguments coming from both sides, they typically say their candidate is the best, and the other candidate is going to destroy our country. Whether or not that is true may be a cause for concern, but it is not cause for despair. Here's why and what I had to remind myself of: my ultimate hope and trust is not in the people who are in office. Yes, I respect them and their position, but my hope and trust is in the Lord.
Sometimes it’s easy to say you are trusting the Lord when your candidate wins, but that is not the test of your trust in God. The genuine test is when you can say the same thing (and mean it) when your candidate loses. If your candidate loses and your reaction is panic and fear, then that reveals where your trust really is. You are trusting the candidate more than trusting God.
Regardless of who wins the election, God does not change. It does not matter who is in the White House, Jesus still sits on the throne. When we lose this perspective (as I was doing) then you make elections and candidates akin to idols, placing all your hope in their outcome. Yes, they are important, but they don’t change who God is or what he has promised.
The Hope of Trusting the Lord
Allow me to share with you some benefits and promises God has for those who trust him. Remind yourself of these things often.
“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you”(Psalm 9:9-10).
“You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal”
“This is what the Lord says:
‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who draws strength from mere flesh
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.‘But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit’”
If your heart is anxious, worried or fearful about who is going to win this next election, then it reveals where your trust is and where it is not. Again, I am not saying elections are not important or inconsequential because they are. I am saying don’t put all your hope in the outcome of an election. Regardless of who wins, God has not changed, and his promises are still in effect for those who trust him.
But What About…
When you read what I just wrote, it may tempt you to fall victim to what I call “the what-abouts.” They usually sound something like this.
“I know I should trust God, but what about this policy they want to implement should they win?”
Let me say again, I understand how you feel because I felt the same way. However, what I found is these are the times when you must go back to your anchor. God is our anchor and he must be the one we are building our hopes upon. Everything else is sinking sand.
What Is the Right Way to Approach This Election Season?
Once you determine to put your trust in God, then let me give you some spiritual and practical suggestions for how you should approach this election season.
1. Start with Prayer
The last time I checked, complaining changes nothing, but prayer can change everything.
The first thing it can change is your outlook. This is crucial, especially if your candidate does not win. One of the biggest problems the American church is facing right now is we don’t pray. Don’t you think there is a correlation between the anxiety and worry many Christians feel about the elections and the lack of prayer? The two are absolutely connected.
Prayer is not about praying for your candidate to win. Prayer is about centering your focus, causing you to remember who you serve and who you believe in. This will help you regardless of who wins.
2. Get All the Right Information
This is more of a practical than spiritual suggestion. One thing you must acknowledge about television and the media is they all need ratings. This is true of every single network. There are no exceptions to this. If no one listens or watches, they won’t be around for very long.
I say this because most people watch the media outlets which confirm their opinions. The ones who tell them what they want to hear. This is called confirmation bias. If you only listen to those who will confirm what you already believe, then you will only hear one side of the story. If you really want the full picture, then you should listen to all opinions on a topic, even those you may not normally listen to, which helps to bring a complete perspective. Once you have all the information, it will help you make better decisions about who you decide to vote for.
3. Get Out and Cote
I believe we have a responsibility to vote. Just don’t put all your hope in the person you vote for. They are only human and may or may not deliver on what they promise. God is the only one who has ever fulfilled every promise he has made.
4. Don’t Lose Heart
Regardless of what happens during this upcoming election season, God is still sovereign and he is in control. If you don’t believe that to be true, then you may find yourself with anxiety, worry, and possibly anger – especially if your candidate does not win. In these moments, recognize you have misplaced your trust and go back to hoping and trusting in the Lord.
Final Thought
As we approach another election season, spend time building your relationship with the Lord. Yes, be aware of what is going on. However, before you go and call your friend and say do you hear what is going on, go before the Lord and tell him your worries and concerns. Seek his peace and ask him what the best way to approach this is. When you come from this perspective, then you can look at any election season through eyes and a heart that are fully trusting in the Lord. If you do this, then you will walk in peace, no matter the outcome. This is exactly what God wants for you anyway.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Hermosa Wave
