Six Months From Now
By the time you read this, if Jesus hasn’t returned, we will be less than six months out from the 2024 U.S. Presidential election. I can almost hear the collective groan and dismay at the thought of six months more of political advertising, conversations, and arguments. However, this is a very critical time in the life of our nation and our world. As I have been praying about where we are as a nation and the coming federal, state, and local elections my mind has been coming back to these six observations. I ask you to read this to the end as this is a very different column than I usually write. Perhaps these observations will spur you on to consider things six months from now.
- When I was thirteen years old our nation celebrated our Bi-Centennial, in 1976. I remember watching on TV the tall ships, as they were called, sailing into the New York City area as we festively celebrated 200 years of American Independence. In those days, we heard a lot about freedom, liberty, patriotism, democracy, personal responsibility, the greatness of America, and so on. Remember, 1976 was just fifteen years removed from President John F. Kennedy’s famous inaugural address statement, ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. We rarely hear things of this nature anymore. It is more likely that we will hear things about what “we are owed” or what politicians will do for us or “allow” us to be able to do. How can I, even in a small way, help reclaim the former rather than the latter?
- As the 2024 election season approaches, it is ok for us to have our own personal opinions. Often our opinions are shaped by our experiences, our upbringing, and the environment we either grew up in or have adopted or embraced. There is nothing wrong with having our own personal opinions, however…
- It is good to exercise wisdom in the sharing of those opinions! Especially as representatives of Christ, first, we would do well to contemplate how we share what we believe politically. Read up on the issues, get informed on what is taking place in our culture, seek the Lord in prayer regarding the things that are happening in our world, ask Him to direct your Bible reading around this, and exercise wisdom in how you engage other people with what you have learned or are learning. Some people will want to argue with you and others will just shut down and possibly shut you out depending on the veracity of comments that are made. “Be wise” — a good motto in this present day and age!
- The Bible does speak about principles for leadership of a large group of people and a nation. Biblically, we are told that God desired His chosen people in the Old Testament — Israel. He wanted to be their King and they would be His people. He would use others to help lead them (Noah, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, etc.) yet they clamored for a king as other nations had (I Samuel 8:1). Maybe in this next little while you can look into the Bible and see God’s desire for the ordering of and thoughts on leading a people, a group, or a nation.
- We have not just the right, but the privilege, of voting for our leaders. Many billions of people would love to have the opportunity to freely, and fairly, vote for their candidate of choice. I encourage you not to waste this opportunity. Carefully consider who you will vote for — at every level of opportunity — school board, council members, state officials, federal officials, judges, etc. Make it a priority to study the candidates, their positions, and their records. We have had many hundreds of thousands of people die so that we could exercise the right to vote.
- Finally, and most importantly, let us not forget that our salvation is not in politicians, political parties, or their platforms — our salvation is in Christ alone! It is good, I would even go so far as to say it is our responsibility to be engaged in our culture, nation, and world — but Christ is to be set apart first in our hearts (I Peter 3:15). THIS is what should give us hope as I Peter 3:15 continues “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”
The looming political season may be something you just want to fly over and not deal with. I get that. But what would it look like, if we leveraged the coming distrust, frustration, negativity, and even outright disdain for what is ahead and used that to truly be people of hope — a hope founded on Christ, a hope that could stand in contradistinction to the world’s false promises! Join me in praying that if Christ doesn’t come back in the next six months, we will see a new work of God in our country, in our culture, and in our world that turns people’s hearts to the things of God! May it be so!
-Jonathan