"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God" Romans 13:1.
We’ve all heard the saying, “Never talk about religion or politics.” Well, I believe we are at a point in our nation where we need to talk about both... and I don’t mean complain, but truly talk and act. The truth is many Americans have grown disillusioned with politics in general, and don’t know how they feel about either political party or candidate. In our culture of public relations, canned speeches and biased reporting, it is hard to know where anyone stands.
We could use this as an excuse to just check out completely. But we have a responsibility. We can’t escape this responsibility by pointing out the imperfections of political leaders. There will never be perfect leaders. We cannot wait for the arrival of perfect. Instead we must pick our way through the flaws... it would be arrogant to put ourselves above the situation.
Christ did not give us the luxury of disengaging from culture, no matter how bad it gets. God is sovereign, and He has made human governments His way of running the world. Romans 13:1 commands that we subject ourselves to governing authorities. And in a democracy like ours this means that we must at least vote.
Whether you feel strongly about a particular candidate, or you are fed up with politics in general, it is the responsibility of every Christian to be influencers of our society. It is a blessing and privilege to live in a country where we have a voice. It is a greater blessing and privilege that as believers, we are God’s voice in our world. May we gratefully and carefully steward this responsibility.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for the guidance of Your Word. I know that You are sovereign over all things. I can trust You, even when the world seems to be falling apart. Please help me to remember that I have a responsibility to shine Your light in every opportunity that You give me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
