I’m Not Panicking About the Election—And Neither Should You
This week, we’ll finally be able to put those political commercials and mail fliers to bed. Until the next election.
The ads have bombarded my mailbox, television set, and cell phone. It’s been a battle to not let political coverage take over my heart and mind. I have a jittery feeling in my stomach as I contemplate my vote and how the chips will fall among candidates. Do you feel it too?
I’ve certainly had those moments this election season, but a friend shared something last week that encouraged me, from Luke chapter 3.
The chapter begins with a listing of the leaders of that day: Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod, and so on. Today we’re bombarded with opinions from left and right, but when Luke was written, that wasn’t the case. These extremely powerful men were the authority figures of the day; their influence was unmatched.
Interestingly, immediately after the names are listed we’re told that “the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness” (Luke 3:2) and that he began fervently sharing about repentance with any and all who would listen. Did you catch that? God started something literally in the wilderness.
The mouthpiece for the eternity-shaping movement that we’re all a part of today was a loner in the wilderness who ate bugs and wore fur. John the Baptist was a far cry from a political leader, yet God worked through him to spread truth quickly. In fact, John is just one of many examples in Bible of the “little guy” submitting to God and being used in a powerful way.
This speaks to my anxious heart as I ponder God’s sovereignty. I’m not downplaying election results, but I also believe we cannot underestimate what God can do. As we see in Luke, political leaders might have their own agendas, but those cannot thwart God’s. His truth will be shared and his purposes fulfilled, even if He has to go out to the wilderness to make it happen.
I hope you exercise the privilege to vote, but I also hope that you don’t get so hung up on election outcomes that you forget about God’s supreme power. His authority is not confined to a voting booth, a political party, or any bureaucracy. We can take heart knowing that He is bigger!
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