Let This Be Your Guide
By Jack Wyman
It’s here.
As surely as the leaves are turning color and there’s a chill in the air.
There’s no avoiding or escaping it, hope as we might. There’s no ignoring its urgent, pleading, grasping tentacles.
It’s invading your email and interrupting your television. It’s blaring on the radio. It’s in your face.
Another season of politics is upon us, and the sky is falling.
If you don’t send money to candidate Smith, today, it could be the end of civilization as we know it.
Did you not realize that if candidate Johnson wins—and she will if you don’t send money right now to her opponent—your children and grandchildren will be in mortal danger? Your dog will die, your lawn will be infested with weeds, and your car will break down.
Voters say they hate negative political ads but they are influenced by them. So, the politicians keep running them.
Money and politics? Insidious and invidious. It’s grown to a tsunami of power and corruption. Will Rogers once said it took a lot of money “just to get beat.” What would he say now? “When buying and selling are controlled by legislation,” observed the late P.J. O’Rourke, “the first things to be bought and sold are legislators.”
So here we are. Once again. Facing the disturbing prospect of getting the government we deserve.
Perhaps we can draw some bit of reassurance from Harry Truman. “Democracy,” he said, “is the worst form of government in the whole world—except for all the rest.”
We accept its challenges, drawbacks, silliness, contradictions, and weaknesses—and we choose to be hopeful and engaged citizens rather than sulking and cynical malcontents.
When asked if she voted, an elderly lady snapped, “No! It only encourages them.”
We smile, and go to the polls anyway—because it is our duty, as American citizens, and because voting is one of the blessings of liberty. Millions have laid down their lives to preserve it.
For Christians, it is especially so. We believe God established secular government as an institution. As such, we dare not dismiss or ignore it. For believers, voting is part of good citizenship. Good citizenship is not limited to our patriotism, though that’s important. It’s also our obedience to God as Christians. When we follow Peter’s command to “honor the king” (I Peter 2:17), we also honor God.
An apathetic Christian citizen is a misnomer. A contradiction in terms. A Christian who refuses to vote is not only a poor citizen, but a bad Christian. On the contrary, a Christian who does his duty as a citizen, who participates in his nation’s civic life, who honors freedom and those who have helped preserve it, obeys and glorifies God.
How should the Christian vote? As important a moral and spiritual obligation as it is, what guidance shall we seek in casting our franchise?
Dozens of organizations across the country publish a so-called Voter Guide. It represents information on candidates, mostly about where they stand on issues. Some of these are accurate and reliable, others not so much.
If I were creating a Voter Guide for Christians, it might look like this.
Background/Qualifications.
Learn something about the candidates. What have they done? What have they achieved? Where and how have they served? Qualifications for public office are important. They reveal a person’s interests, priorities, experience, record, and level of dedication.
It’s good to know what individuals have accomplished, where they have succeeded, where they may have failed. You can’t know everything about a person’s background, but it’s important to know something. And to take that into consideration in deciding your vote.
Character/Temperament.
What’s the candidate like? Is she a person of integrity, decency, and honesty? Is he humble or arrogant? Kind or mean-spirited? Vindictive or forgiving? Principled or deceptive? What do others say about her? Those who have worked with or for her?
What’s the candidate’s reputation, for it most always precedes him. Is he respected? Why or why not?
There’s an ongoing struggle among sincere Christians about how much character should matter—or whether it should matter at all in politics. Character counts. Always. Especially in politics. Especially for those who say they follow Jesus.
Beware the temptation of rationalizations or excuses to accept immorality for the sake of power. Have the integrity and courage of the prophet Nathan. As a voter, you too can speak truth to power by the choice you make.
Stands on Issues.
Learn about a candidate’s positions on things that matter. There are so many issues and they often come and go. Many are easy, most are difficult. Some are simple, others complex. Some are matters of public policy, strategy, public opinion, and district or state needs and goals. Others are issues of personal morality and individual conscience. Listen, learn, and try to understand. Gain information on issues.
You don’t have to agree with a candidate on every single issue to vote for him. Try not to be a single-issue voter. Examine and thoughtfully consider the whole record. You have your key issues. Some positions may be “deal-breakers.” So be it. Learn about a candidate’s conscience and convictions—then vote yours.
Don’t ever vote for a candidate simply because he claims to be a Christian. There are plenty of politicians who pour God over everything, just like catsup. Especially when they’re running for office. They’ll tell you what you want to hear.
Martin Luther said he’d rather be governed by a competent Hun than by an incompetent Christian. Faith matters but it’s not the only thing that does.
Pray. That’s the most important thing you should do before you decide how to vote. Seek God’s wisdom and discernment. Don’t be afraid of an election’s outcome. God still reigns over the machinations of mere mortals. Trust him. He’s in control.
Be discerning. Be confident. Be hopeful. Be thoughtful. Do your duty as a Christian and as a citizen before God.
Always keep in mind the limits of politics. The heart of our problem is—and always will be—a problem of the heart.
Let this be your guide.
To order Jack Wyman’s book, “Everything Else: Stories of Life, Faith and Our World”, go to amazon.com, Christian Book Distributors or barnesandnoble.com. It is also available on Kindle and eBooks.
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