By: Dale Weckbacher
Ephesians 6:12
For we do not wrestle
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness
in the heavenly places.
NKJV
The conventions are behind us and now the real battle to
determine who will be the next President of the United States begins. Elections are battles which cause
divisiveness within the nation. Even
though elections are contentious, fortunately, as has been the case throughout
the history of the United States, they are a peaceful means of transferring
power. Let us pray that this election as
well will provide a peaceful transfer of power as the current President is term
limited out of office.
This election has been contentious mostly due to the
instantaneous availability of information through the Internet, social media,
and 24-hour cable news. However, as we
look at the increased instances of terrorism both around the world and within
our own country coupled with attacks on police officers who maintain peace in
our society, the threat of this becoming a violent election cycle is very
real. Let us therefore take steps this
election to maintain the peaceful transference of power that has been the
tradition of our nation by,
1)
Inviting the Prince of Peace into your life –
Jesus Christ is referred to in scripture as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah9:6). In fact, Jesus Himself said that
the peacemakers would be called the sons of God in Matthew 5:9. However, to become a true peacemaker in
these turbulent times requires the peace that only comes from the prince of
peace. Romans 8:14 teaches that those
led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Therefore, not only must one be a peacemaker to be a son of God but one
must be led by the Spirit of God.
Unfortunately, sin in each of our lives has separated us from God and
does not allow us to be led by the Spirit of God unless we are reconciled. The good news however is the Prince of Peace,
Jesus Christ came and through his death on the cross, we can have complete
reconciliation with God and be led by the Spirit of God. However, we must accept this gift of
reconciliation with God by accepting the sacrifice of the Prince of Peace for
our sins. If you have not already done
this, I invite you to do so by praying with me now,
Dear Lord Jesus, I
know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death
(Romans 6:23). I ask you to forgive me
of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9). I believe you died, was buried, and
resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.
2)
Trusting in God and not political leaders –
Jesus taught His followers to seek the Kingdom of God first and that when we do
all these things will be added to us (Matthew 6:33). The things Jesus is referring to are the
basic needs in life such as food, drink, and clothing. Unfortunately, those in the world lacking the
peace from the Prince of Peace in their lives depend solely upon their own
abilities or some government program for provision of these needs. When these fail to meet these needs, people
dependent upon them can become angry and express that anger during election
cycles. Many have referred to the
current electoral process in the United States as the year of the insurgent. (1) In fact, one of these insurgents, Donald
Trump has now earned the nomination of one of the nation’s major political
parties. The reason in my opinion
however for the insurgency is less to do with the charisma of Donald Trump and
more to do with the frustration due to many years of weak, and often scandalous
leadership in the White House. In fact,
Donald Trump made reference to these years of weak leadership in 2011 and has
continued to do so during his campaign, which is why many believe he surged to
the top and earned the GOP nomination. (2) However, as strong a leader as Donald Trump
or Hillary Clinton may be, they are still flawed individuals and when we place
our complete trust in them, they will fail us and bring frustration. To remain peaceful during this tumultuous
campaign, I recommend placing your trust in The Prince of Peace.
3)
Know that everything is occurring according to
God’s plan – Romans 8:28 reminds us that all things work together for good for
those that are called according to God’s purpose. This is not a blanket promise for all
humanity but only those that have heeded the call of the Prince of Peace and
accepted his sacrificial gift of reconciliation with God. Therefore, if you have accepted Jesus as your
savior, it does not matter who occupies the White House or any other position
of leadership, it will all work out good for us, however not without many bumps
in the road. I personally find this
liberating in my life. However, this
does not mean Christians should not vote for we are also called to spread the
Gospel. In the United States we enjoy
freedom of religion which is protected by the first amendment to the U.S.
Constitution. We therefore as Christians
have a responsibility to vote for leaders that will fulfill the oath of office
they take to uphold the constitution including the first amendment. We also have a responsibility to speak out
with our votes against ungodly issues such as homosexuality and abortion. However, we can find peace knowing that we are
led by God and not any flawed human leader occupying office.
I believe that adherence to these principles will help
insure the electoral process in the United States remains a peaceful
transference of power and does not devolve into violence as it does in many
other parts of the world. The electoral
battle is on but let us insure it remains a peaceful debate and does not turn
ugly.
1. Nicholas, Patric O'Connor and Peter.
Election 2016 Pits Insurgents vs. the Establishment. www.wsj.com. [Online]
The Wall Street Journal, January 26, 2016. [Cited: August 1, 2016.]
http://www.wsj.com/articles/election-2016-pits-insurgents-vs-the-establishment-1453824535.
2. Goldberg, Delen.
Donald Trump: U.S. leadership ‘weak, pathetic and incompetent’. lasvegassun.com.
[Online] Las Vegas Sun, April 28, 2011. [Cited: August 1, 2016.]
http://lasvegassun.com/news/2011/apr/28/trump-us-leadership/.
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