A Christian Response to the Election

Well, the dust has settled and the rhetoric is finally capped. We have a new President and history has been made. While I am somewhat disappointed in the outcome (we all want our favorite guy to win, don't we?), I am certainly glad this election is over.

It was a nasty one with accusations flying left and right, divisions and half-truths permeating both sides, finger pointing, God claiming and hyperbole characterizing every aspect of the campaign process.

Not much of it all honored God or edified His body.

This type of campaign leaves a lot of people with a bad taste in their mouth and can have lingering after effects on us for a long time to come......if we decide to hold on to the vitriol that was espoused during the election. In reality, God's word has already given us our guidelines for moving forward as a nation, in unity.

Here's what we know:

• God is still in charge regardless of which party won the electoral vote. 1 Chron 29:12
• He established all rule and authority..ALL! A sovereign God has placed His man for His purposes in the White House. Rom 13:1
• We need to be thankful for that. Eph 5:18-20. This is not a suggestion nor is it dependant on our feelings. It is a command.
• We should support President Obama with our prayers. 1 Tim 2:1-2.

None of this is about our personal or political preferences and all of it is about honoring God in the way the church responds to our leaders. Fi we do not agree, there are appropriate ways to object to the process. There are systems and tools set into place, by our Constitution, that provide legal means of protest. None of them include hate, disdain or outright rebellion unless the authorities they require us to do something that is an outright offense to God (Dan 3:12-30)

Our Scriptural mandate is clear. We prayed..... this is our answer. Now comes the question, "Do we dare act like Christians after the election?"