The Super Easy Guide to Voting for Christians
We sure know how to complicate things, don’t we?
When it comes to politics these days, things are a big, hot mess. It is unfortunate that many Christians are being sucked into that mess without seeming to have any unique voice or perspective on the matter that differs from that of the secular world. Christians should engage in politics, yes, but we should do so differently than unbelievers.
The Bible has a lot to say about our engagement with secular government. Actually, check that—it really doesn’t have a lot to say, other than a few overarching principles. You could probably point out 10-15 direct passages that address the matter. And that is precisely the beauty of God’s word on this issue. It doesn’t overcomplicate things. The Bible doesn’t get super-political because it doesn’t need to, and neither do we. We can come at this from a different angle than everyone else.
Here are a few big-picture things the Bible has to say about this subject:
1. Pray for government officials…so you can chill out
I bet most people never pay much attention to the second part of that passage. Here it is in total:
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
The Bible doesn’t just tell us to pray for those in authority, it also tells us why. It is so you can “lead a peaceful and quiet life”. When I look at the way the world handles politics, it is anything but peaceful and quiet. Unfortunately, Christians don’t often seem much different. I’d be willing to bet it is because we don’t actually pray about these things. We argue and fight about them instead, just like everyone else. That’s a shame, since God’s desire is for us to lead peaceful and quiet lives that come from trusting God in all things, including our governing officials. We seem to really be failing in this matter miserably.
2. Vote your conscience
I won’t quote the whole passage, but Romans 13-14 is where this principle is drawn from. There is no political party that perfectly embodies Christian values. Therefore, Christians should weigh the options against Scripture, pray about it, and then vote according to their conscience. This means that Christians will come to different conclusions regarding the same issues, and that is ok. That is literally the entire point of Romans 13-14. Where there are grey areas, we are to act according to our conscience, encourage others to do the same, and leave it to God to sort that out. We are not to judge or look down on a brother or sister because their conscience dictates they vote for the party you oppose. “It is before their own master that we stand or fall.”
Read. Educate yourself. Mull things over. Pray about it. Discuss with other thoughtful people. Then, vote what your conscience tells you to, and let other people do the same. See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?
3. Leave the results in the hands of God
We are ultimately not in control of human history. God is. We say that all the time as Christians, but we don’t always act like it. In the end, it is God who raises people to power and brings them down.
“He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Daniel 2:21)
And, he doesn’t always raise up the most “wholesome” people. It was God, after all, who said “I am raising up the Babylonians, a cruel and violent people. They will march across the world and conquer other lands.” (Habakkuk 1:6) The point is that God has a plan in all that he does, and his plan is not always the same as ours. He uses both the godly and ungodly alike to achieve his purposes. So if the political leader you thought was a disaster gets into power, you can know that God did that, and he has his reasons for doing so.
4. Focus more on your own personal life and God’s church
It is valuable and worthwhile for Christians to be involved in politics. It is not, however, good for believers to think anything political is the answer. To accomplish his global mission, God did not establish a government, an army, or a politician. He established his Church. The Church, made up of believers across the globe, is God’s chosen vessel to bring his kingdom to earth. Therefore, we should be way less worried with what the government is doing than with what we are doing to share God’s love with the people around us. Do we love our neighbours? Do we give generously? Do we help those in need? Do we share the gospel? Do we participate and contribute to our local churches? Do we get involved in supporting global missions? We should focus on that more, because that’s where God is working. That’s where the power is. And no force on earth can stop God’s Church.
In the end, the one thing Christians should not be doing is freaking out and fighting over politics. I don’t believe Scripture gives us that option. It might be the natural thing to do, but we are called to be supernatural people. Our hope in God causes us to live different lives, the kind that demonstrate peace because of our trust in him. I hope that we can see more of that from our brothers and sisters moving forward.
Canadian Bible Guy 
I wish Pastor Craig were US president. Is he still eligible to run?