I Am Voting For...

 

As I  would suspect most of you know, we have an election in a few weeks here in North Carolina and the USA.    It is hard to miss that fact if you read the newspaper… go on a social media site… ride in your car down a major highway… or open your mail.     Candidates at the local, county, state, and national level are selling themselves and their plans in hopes of  getting our vote. 

From a biblical perspective, we find little help in choosing who to vote for.   When we open the Old Testament, we see that God chose the  leadership for Israel (e.g. Samuel, Saul).   In the New Testament, we see that Jesus chose the disciples after deep prayer and that the “replacement disciple” for Judas was chosen by the casting of lots.   We do find  in I Timothy 3: 1-7  this guidance for the choosing of overseers (or bishops):

Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. ² Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³ not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. ⁴ He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full^[a] respect. ⁵ (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) ⁶ He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. ⁷ He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

There have been times through the years when people have sought my counsel as a pastor about who to vote for.   Though I have my opinions and do vote and will note,  I always choose not to come down on the side of any particular party.     I  remind you that while much attention may focus on candidates for national office or state office, choose carefully those who you elect on the local level.   They serve in important positions also.  For example, it is the county commissioners in NC that determine your property tax each year.  I will encourage you to do what I do as you prepare to vote by doing the following:

PRAY-    In the gospel of Luke, we see that Jesus spent the night in prayer before he chose his disciples.   Spend time in prayer asking God to  guide you as you vote.  

STUDY-  Study the stances of the candidates on the issues that are close to your heart.   Be careful about just voting for a candidate because of their stance on one issue.   Try to discover their stances and plans beyond what you might see on a 60 second television ad or on social media.    Try to discover not just what the candidates are against, but also what they are.   Be an informed voter. 

ASK YOURSELF-  Ask yourself some questions after you study such as the following:   Does this candidate have a servants  heart?    Are they eager to serve all the people or more interested in what their election might mean for themselves  and their donors?   Does this candidate have a character that your children or grandchildren can look up to?

PRAY SOME MORE-  Once the election is over, pray some more.   Pray for those who are elected as they face the tasks before them.   It is huge task being an elected official these days and they will need God’s help to do it well.   Pray also  for yourself and for  our country that we might be united as citizens behind these newly elected or re-elected officials. 

Have a joy-filled week and best wishes to all the candidates.-  Pastor Randy Wall 

 

PRAYER

Lord, I offer prayers for our community, state, and nation during this election season.    Give us eyes and a heart to see who the candidates really are and to vote accordingly.   God bless us in these days;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.