Did your jaw drop when you saw that title? Are you wondering if I’ve suffered a brain injury and lost my ability to reason? Let me add a few words of clarification:
It doesn’t matter what we believe if our beliefs aren’t based on truth.
“Truth is incontrovertible.
Panic may resent it;
Ignorance may deride it;
Malice may distort it;
But there it is.”
–Winston Churchill
I can strongly believe that a coin tossed in a fountain will cause my wish to come true, or that a kind, friendly salesman has my best interest at heart, or a sad, desperate plea for financial help is legitimate.
But such beliefs can result in futility and misplaced trust. No, whenever possible I must verify the truth of my beliefs.
On November 8, what we believe will guide us to make a very important choice—a choice for which many of us have grave concerns. According to a Rasmussen Report released yesterday, 69% of Americans believe the nation is headed in the wrong direction. No doubt these folks are asking: Which candidate will be the most likely to change our course and lead us in a more positive direction?
It is imperative we base our decision on the crucial matters impacting our country: national security and terrorism, unemployment and jobs, the national debt, and healthcare, to name a few. Our beliefs about which person is the candidate of choice must be verified by facts—to the best of our abilities.
Let’s be honest, though. Neither candidate is perfect. Then again, I can’t very well hold them to a standard I haven’t achieved myself. Perhaps the answers to these questions will guide my decision:
- What kind of leader does our country need?
- What are the most pressing concerns? Which candidate addresses those concerns with realism, clarity, and insightful solutions?
- Which candidate aligns with the truths I consider most important?
If you’re not sure how to answer those questions, may I recommend you ask for advice from people you highly respect, people who are knowledgeable about current events and have demonstrated wisdom in the life-choices they’ve made. Who are they voting for and why? What news sources do they trust and why?
To be honest, no matter how the election turns out, I have deep concerns about the outcome. Perhaps you do, too. What’s a citizen to do?
Scripture and the forefathers of our faith give us indication:
- Be responsible, cooperative, and supportive citizens, as the Apostle Paul laid out in Romans 13:1-7.
- Be realistic. Our pastor pointed out a few weeks ago that, much as it may disappoint us, we don’t have to live in a Christian nation in order to thrive as Christians. Throughout the centuries, the church has actually strengthened and grown when under persecution.
- Be prayerful. That’s the most important instruction as we approach November 8. Again it is Paul offering wise advice:
“I urge then, first of all,
that requests, prayers, intercession and
thanksgiving be made for everyone—
for kings and all those in authority
that we may live peaceful and quiet lives
in all godliness and holiness.
This is good and pleases God our Savior
who wants all men to be saved
and to come to knowledge of the truth.”
–1 Timothy 2:1-3 (NIV)
(Art & photo credits: http://www.pixabay.com (2); http://www.flickr.com (2); slideshare.net.
From the Inside Out 
Excellent and sensible and practical. Thank you!
I am honored you described the post with such positive adjectives, Dawn. Praise God for his direction, and your frequent encouragement, which warms my heart!
I really appreciated this post Nancy, because you didn’t rave for one candidate or the other. But I what I most liked was this statement, “We don’t have to live in a Christian nation in order to thrive as Christians.” And thank God for that! Tell your pastor that his encouragement reached clear over to Italy, and I thank him! And you too!
Thank you, Sheila, and I WILL tell our pastor. How delightful to hear from you all the way from Italy! Hope you’re enjoying a memorable trip under sunny skies.
Thanks for wishing us a nice trip, Nancy. But we live here in Italy. But then again, we are all just traveling through, aren’t we? So I guess you could say this has been a great trip of almost 30 years!
Sheila, you look so much like another Sheila we know, I thought SHE was the one sending this comment! 🙂
Wow, that’s amazing! Too bad we can’t meet! But anyway, you certainly encouraged one Italian missionary with your post! God bless.
Oh, that warms my heart that my post encouraged you — all the way to Italy. Praise God!
One of the best of your blogs, Nancy. Timely and zeroes in on the most important priorities a Christian should have in his country. Romans 13:1… Authorities established by God. Wow… Thanks for the reminder.
Thank you, Cheri. Much is at stake in our country; many complicated issues need to be addressed. Praise God HE is in control and we can depend on him to see us through to the end! (Remind me of that when troubling events unfold!)
When I was reading your blog post, I kept thinking about how Israel petitioned Samuel for a king after “his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.” (1 Samuel 8). The Bible goes on to say that the people rejected God as their King and wanted a King like all the other nations.
It would make sense that the replacement of those bad judges (Solomon’s sons) would bring some relief, but actually crying for a king and rejecting God as King, was a great offense to God.
Eventually God gave them what they cried for, namely a hoard of bad kings who ruled a divided nation.
Nancy, while everything inside of me wants to see the good in our days (and don’t get me wrong, WE MUST PRAY), I sense God is giving us what our adulterous hearts have been crying for.
I suppose the one thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history.
Thanks for making me dig into the Word tonight and encouraging me to pray, dear sister.
Thank you, Heidi, for your thoughtful comments. Someone of note (can’t remember exactly who) was asked, “How did we get here?” The question referred to the present state of our country, where we see: family breakdown, immorality, greed, selfishness, disrespect, rudeness, etc. The person responded, “We got here one step at a time.” With another Great Awakening, perhaps we could walk back some of those steps. On the other hand, God may very well be walking us toward Jesus’ return. Either way, as I said to Cheri above, praise God HE is in control. He will see us through to the end!