On November 4, 2008 the people of the United States of America voted to have the first African American represent and lead our country through the Office of President of the United States. From the moment Barak Obama was elected he promised to bring change to this country. However, that change was not what many of the American people envisioned.
Since taking office, President Obama and his administration have brought about Obamacare, federally-legalized same-sex marriage, higher racial tensions, unprecedented government assistance to illegal immigrants, support for the radical LGBT agenda and a redefinition of public access to restrooms and locker rooms, and much more.
The mainstream media proudly proclaimed nationwide support and acceptance for President Obama, his administration, and their support for an agenda that sought to bring America down and rebuild it. In 2012 many of the American people attempted to vote President Obama out of office, but failed. Now almost half way through 2016, Barak Obama is nearing the end of his time as our president.
The American people, many who are seeking to undo what President Obama did, are looking to either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton to “get America back on track.” Neither candidate is appealing overall though.
The mainstream media is having a field day with Trump and Clinton as the presumptive nominees. Opinions on all sides are being voiced about whether or not this November will bring us the first female president or President Trump.
What Should Christians Do?
What is not being heard by most is the conversations of Christians who are stumped as to what they should do in regards to casting a vote come November 4th.
The thought is that a vote for Hillary could mean at least another four years of an Obama-founded, similar administration or a vote for Trump means selecting someone who strongly demonstrates that Biblical values are not very high on his list.
Christians are caught in the middle of a crossroads of how exactly they should move forward.
In response to this cloudiness, I suggest we take a look at God’s Word.
God’s Word Instructs
As Christians, we are commanded to turn to God’s Word for guidance and wisdom. That is what we need to do right now. I suggest we look at Romans 13:1-7 for guidance and wisdom in regards to how we should respond to our current political climate.
In the beginning of this chapter, Paul is addressing the Roman church and how they should respond to a government that they do not agree with.
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” (Romans 13:1–7 ESV)
Paul exhorts the church body to honor and respect the governing body of the Roman Empire. It seems a bit off to suggest that, but Paul explains that all governing authorities are still under the complete control of God.
That means by disagreeing with the Roman government, the church was in a sense disagreeing with God.
Of course, this didn’t mean they had to give approval to what the Roman government was doing, but they were to see it as an opportunity to worship God and serve him.
This meant the members of the Roman church were to obey the laws and regulations given by the government, while at the same time using wisdom and discernment from God to ensure that they weren’t giving to sin by obeying those laws and regulations.
This meant that at times they would have to not follow the law, but it would need to be done in a manner that would still honor God and show worship of him.
It wasn’t just a difficult task that was requested of the Roman church, it was simply a command from God given through Paul that they understand the sovereignty of God. No matter how bad things seemed, God was still in complete control regardless of what man’s opinion was.
It Still Applies To Us
It is this simple command that I encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ to follow. We are commanded by God to love one another, even where love isn’t due.
God loves each and every one of us, even during those times we don’t love him back. His love is unconditional and ours should be the same way.
There are times in my own life where I do not want to show love to others. There are times when my friends, family, and fellow church members make it hard to show them love. But, I show them because I am commanded by God to do so.
I am also commanded to overcome evil with good, which is seen by loving someone even when they do “evil” against us or someone close to us. (Romans 12:17-21)
This same attitude goes for how we respond to and treat our elected government officials. Whether or not we personally agree with them, we are to show them love.
We show them God’s love by respecting and honoring the position they hold, including those positions that are a direct authority in our life.
Right now we are witnessing the advancement of an agenda that is rooted completely in sin. But that doesn’t mean we have to be disrespectful or hateful towards those who support and are pushing that agenda.
What it does mean is that we must show them the love that God has shown us and commanded of us.
Barak Obama will only be in office for another 7 ½ months. That means at the end of those 7 ½ months, we will begin a new era with either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. While we may rejoice at the fact that Obama will no longer be our leader, we have to remember that in his sovereign will, God put him in this office for a reason.
An Opportunity For Us As Christians
We will never fully understand that reasoning (something we could always ask when we get to Heaven), but we can see this as an opportunity to ground ourselves even more in the truths that God gave to us through his word.
We should take this same thinking when looking at Trump or Clinton.
Regardless of who is elected on November 4th, we as Christians should serve as the example of people who will come together and show respect and honor to that person, not because they personally deserve it, but because the position they now hold deserves it and God expects us to respect and honor their position that he has granted.
God isn’t going to let us go. He is going to protect us (a promise made repeatedly throughout his word), guide us, and lead us.
Barak Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump will never have the final say over our lives. God is the only one who can have the final say over our lives.
So as we look towards the end of the Obama presidency and the beginning of Clinton Part 2 or the “You’re Fired” president, we should be thanking God that we are still able to exercise freedom in having a role in choosing our leader.
No matter what sin they might try to forcibly make us accept, we should be confident knowing that God is still in control. By doing that, and giving our elected officials respect and honor, we will be worshipping God and showing him the same love and grace that he provides to us each and every day.
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