How to really ROCK the VOTE

Several people have asked me if I was going to blog about the election and I have chosen to stay out of it. It really bothers me when I start to hear the people of Christ say that a person couldn’t possibly be a Christian and vote one way or the other. I am pretty passionate about politics, I believe it is the system by which this great Country has operated and stuck together. However, politics will never save the World. I received the following in my e-mail today form Soul Fuel and it is exactly how I feel so I decide to share it. I hope you enjoy it. And by the way, I voted last week.

Ronnie

Whew! Are you glad it’s over (or almost over)? Well, duh…as if I needed more commercials for candidates, loud and annoying phone calls, yard signs, bumper stickers, and wall to wall media coverage – right?

But I will miss some of the humor. Whether you were pro-Bama, no-Bama, I don’t know-bama, we love McCain, or all politics drive me insane…you have to admit there was some pretty good stuff that came out. Like:

With just 19 days left until the election, Barack Obama warned supporters today to guard against overconfidence. Then he boarded Air Force One, blasted “We Are The Champions” and shouted “I’m King of the World!”

Q. Why will Britney Spears vote for Barack Obama?
A. Because she’s running out of other crazy things to do.

Q. Why is John McCain running for President?
A. It was at the top of his bucket list.

Unlike other candidates in the Republican primaries, John McCain says he believes in the Theory of Evolution. In fact, he watched it happen with his own eyes.

OK, so both sides got some good ones in, but all jokes aside, do you think it really matters that much who ended up getting the job at the White House?

Some might be shocked at that question and ask “What? Are you kidding? The President is the most powerful man in the world and Commander-in-Chief of the mightiest military in the history of earth!” Or others might point out that whoever controls the presidency controls the future of America – for good or evil.

Well, yeah, I get that. But I think there’s something you might need to consider and understand on a much larger scale. So large in fact that it will help you not be bummed or freaked out if your candidate’s not the one, and it will also help you refrain from putting too much confidence if your candidate dude was most triumphant.

God’s Word actually has a lot to say about politics and world leaders – and here are a few critical facts you might want to put into your perspective:

First of all, it is God Himself Who determines the winners of elections. Yep – and all along you thought it was the voting system and the Electoral College? Sure, they were the tools, but the Hand behind it all is the Sovereign and All Powerful King of the Universe:

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God (Romans 13:1).

The ‘governing authorities’ that are referred to here were not democratic or even friendly towards Christians. But that didn’t matter then – or now – because it is crystal clear from this verse that there is no senator, judge, or even president who wasn’t placed there by God Himself.

I know…pretty weird, huh? But actually, it makes sense. It’s not like God is in heaven going ‘Oh no! The guy I voted for didn’t win!’

I actually take comfort in the fact that no matter which person is sworn into office in January, it’s the one that God established to be President of the United States .

So what does this mean? Well, whether you can vote or not, whether your candidate won or not, whether you kept up or not…really doesn’t matter in the big picture. This is our responsibility:

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

What usually happens when the ‘wrong’ person gets into office is we moan, complain, make jokes, and do everything else but what we are supposed to do…which is pray.

So…are you praying? Even if the election outcome is different than you want? I’ve seen a lot of passion and emotion with this election, going forward, are you willing to direct that into your prayer life?

Remember…God ultimately elects our President, and our ultimate responsibility is not to flame our opponents on Facebook or blog away our sorrows.

We must pray-

-that God will turn the heart of all presidents and kings and rulers to Himself.

-that our President will rule fairly and justly.

-that God will accomplish His perfect will through those He placed in authority.

-that we will properly submit to our government regardless of whether or not elephants or donkeys are running the circus.

That…is how we rock the vote!

Head: What you need to know about this truth

All authority on earth is established by God, therefore our responsibility is to pray for those in charge.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

Feel confident that God is in control of our government and our nation. If we all worried more about our prayer life than what’s going on in the Oval Office, we might see the changes we desperately need!

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

Commit yourself to praying every day for those whom God has placed in authority over us.