At the time of this post the Presidential election is still not called. Regardless of who you voted for, I think it’s safe to assume that most of us are very ANXIOUS to know who will be leading our country for the next 4 years.
But I was reminded this morning of a directive & encouraging promise that God offers us.
“Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6-7
We must pray with urgency and gratitude to God our Father. Then, his unexplainable PEACE will get us through this season, and the next, and the next….
Remember, God already knows who wins this election. May God bless our President, and may God bless America.
I voted yesterday. I live in Washington State, so there are no polling locations. You either mail it in or deposit your ballot in a ballot box. I personally chose the ballot box, mainly because I want to have control of my vote being received. I must admit, however, that the part of me that enjoys affirmation and positive reinforcement does miss being given the badge of honor ‘I Voted’ sticker as a reward for fulfilling my civic duty. Petty, I know…but honest. Is anyone with me on this?
Before you read on, know that this is not going to be a political post. Ok, yes. It seems like everything nowadays is/can be political. I agree. But my heart for sharing my thoughts today is much larger than that.
Between the voters’ guide, multiple state and federal websites and news articles it took me about 90 minutes to fill out my ballot.
(side rant) Does it bother anyone else when there are elected offices on the ballot with a single name? Why should they get my vote simply because they don’t have anyone running against them? I could leave it blank, but….oh, I digress.
Look, squirrel!
Back to who I voted for!
Let me start by listing a few issues/stances that are particularly important to me.
Affordable, quality healthcare should be accessible to every American.
Accurate COVID-19 information must be given to the public in an efficient, timely, and honest manner. In a pandemic, some public health mandates are necessary, but every community is unique and should be given the authority to decide the best course for their community.
A human life begins at conception. And all lives are precious. This must be protected.
Yes, black lives matter. Creating a better, more just future for all people of color in America will not happen by re-writing history and removing statues. History is exactly that…history. But we must make big changes and improvements in our legal system. Equal treatment and equal justice for everyone in our country should be our target. The black community cannot and should not do this alone. White Americans must step up to initiate change with them. What we need is tougher laws against hate crimes and hate speech. Additionally, law enforcement training needs some intentional reform.
The use of diplomacy and military action can both be effective with managing international relations and issues of conflict. It takes humility and wisdom to know when to use either one. The USA puts itself in a bad spot when our Commander and Chief leans heavily one way or the other.
The 2nd Amendment for Americans to posses firearms must be defended. There is, however, much need for better screening and stricter laws for gun owners who don’t have licenses and permits.
Now, combine all of that with the fact that I’m a middle-aged white male, Evangelical Christian, who generally leans toward conservativism. Depending how you view the above issues and what has shaped your own worldview, some of you would assume I voted for Trump. Still, there are others who would think I clearly voted for Biden. Oddly interesting, right?
Regardless of who I voted for and who you vote for, we do need to pray for our leaders (1 Tim. 2:1-2) and abide by the laws that are enacted during their administration (Rom. 13:1). We don’t have to be happy with whoever is elected President of the United States when we wake up on 11/4, but we must move on. We must continue to move forward. We have a choice to make. We can spend the next 4 years complaining, bashing, protesting whichever administration ends up in the White House….OR we can rise above the circumstances and our own pride to actually work toward bipartisan change.
By now you’re probably realizing that I’m not going to actually name the candidate I voted for. Why? Not because I’m a private person or that I’m worried about people making judgements about me. Simply because there would be no purpose in doing that. When we know who everyone votes for we make judgements on them as a person, assume their political affiliation, and conclude whether or not we are on the same side. All of this is superficial and meaningless.
I honest don’t care how you vote. But I will give much more attention to how our society chooses to move forward and posture ourselves following 11/3.
If YOU are a Christian entertainer/athlete and would like to be a guest on the Faith & Entertainment podcast, simply email me at brentdumler@icloud.com. I’d love to talk with you!
If you’re like me, you are completely fed up with all the negativity and immaturity that has saturated this Presidential campaign. Sometimes I feel like America is the laughing stock of the rest of the onlooking world right now. But worrying ourselves crazy about things that you and I have absolutely no control over does nothing to remedy the problem.
There is a plethora of highly opinionated bashing and slanderous commentary on Facebook and other social media platforms about this election. It’s nauseating! And this isn’t even where we should be focusing our attention.
For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. – Ephesians 6:12
Did you hear that? Our ‘battle’ is NOT against any particular political candidate or party. It is ONLY against the spiritual forces. Our personal conduct, posture, and prayer life will ultimately determine not only the direction of America, but the validity of our witness of the name of Jesus to those around us.
For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18
What is temporary? This ridiculous election. And what is unseen? Our Lord Jesus and the spiritual battle that has ALREADY BEEN WON!
Watch this music video by Rend Collective. “Worship is our battlecry in the midst of the fight. At His name (Jesus) every giant will fall.” So who is YOUR giant? Is it worry? Clinton? Trump? The unknown of tomorrow?
To all of us who call ourselves ‘Believers’ and truly follow Jesus, I challenge us. Vote well and with a good conscience. But pray harder, and intentionally reflect the character of Jesus throughout this entire election. Stop the negative posts and comments online about how you ‘feel’ about a candidate. In stead, post a prayer for America. Reflect hope, integrity, and faith in a way that highlights Jesus and not this political circus.
Who am I going to vote for? Well, my ballot will reflect one of the candidates. But my vote ultimately goes to Jesus. Though I do not put my trust in our President, Congress, or Senate, I do trust that God is in control and I will pray for those elected to office whether I support their political agenda or not.
Will YOU accept this challenge? Please leave a comment below.
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