Politics...I'm sure this one word conjures up different feelings in each one of us, feelings perhaps of disgust, frustration, apathy, passion and others. It is hard to avoid the topic these days as we have just finished two weeks jammed packed with speakers from both sides of the fence speaking on behalf of their candidate and their causes and issues. (I'm exhausted from staying up past 11:00 pm for the past four weeks with the Olympics for two weeks and then the DNC and the RNC following!) I know that the next two months will be even more jammed packed with it as the debates are coming and the candidates will increase their attacks against one another in hopes of proving their ability to lead our country.
I am also so tired of people putting so much stock into what these candidates can do for us. We can get so caught up in the whole hooplah and battle that occurs between the two sides and so sure that our candidate is "the one" who will deliver this country from its troubles. (I am just as guilty of this as the next person.) I am trying to remind myself in the midst of this that one or two people cannot deliver our country from its problems. Aside from the fact that the way the US government is set up, no one person can control everything, only God Himself can deliver any country from its troubles. If we look at the Bible, usually He delivers countries that are honoring Him with the way they treat the poor and oppressed and the way they respect God and obey His commands. I wonder if the same would be true today with our country. I am reminded of what God says to Israel in 2 Chronicles 7: 13-14. He says, "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Perhaps this could be true of our country...when us, God's people, believers, pull ourselves away from getting so wrapped up in our party or candidate and all the warring against one another and bad feelings we can feel towards the "other side" politically, and get on our knees and actually PRAY for change in our country, then perhaps we might see it!!
I am also reminded as I find myself caught up in the news and the battle between the two parties of Psalm 146. I believe God led me to this passage for this very time, the 2008 elections. It is Psalm 146: 3-7. It says, "Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry." God is ultimately the One Who controls the destinies of any and every country! Now we know that not everyone in our country shares this view, and that is why I feel that as believers, we have such a burden and a responsibility to quit getting so caught up in the rivalry politically, and start to cry out for our country and for the people in it and the leaders of it.
And while we are doing that, we also need to quit relying completely on our government to care for the poor and needy, and start getting off of our rear ends and do something to help alleviate the problem!!! The government needs our help to help those in need, and we as the church SHOULD have a burden for the poor and oppressed. If we read Amos, we see what God said He would do to His people because they became so caught up in their own "wants" and pursuit of the Israelite equivalent of the "American Dream" and began to neglect the poor and oppressed in order to get more for themselves.
Now those who know me know that I care about who is elected into office, and I have my personal reasons why I will vote for who I am going to vote for. And I fully believe that believers can vote for two different candidates and still be right with their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and right before God. We all need to vote for who we believe will best lead our country and do so for the person we believe God is leading us to vote for. And like I said, that could be two differnt candidates for two different people. I just am tired of all the bickering back and forth, and getting so caught up in the "fight" for the Oval Office and in putting so much hope and stock into one candidate as the one who will deliver this country. I must not forget that it is God Who determines the fate of our country and every country in this world; and I must not forget my role in praying hard for the people in this country as well as the leaders, getting off of my rear end and start to serve those who are in need and get my focus off of me and onto God and others, and to vote for the candidate I feel will best lead our country (with a clean conscience before God, and knowing that my candidate is not necessarily the right choice for my fellow brother or sister in Christ).