Six Essentials To Remember Before You Cast Your Vote

1. Remember to vote on principles over personality

In the end, principles trump personality. The election isn’t a personality contest, rather it is a principle contest. Our motto as Christians should be, “He with the best principles wins.” Since we are Christians, we should vote for the person whose values best represent our Biblical convictions. Therefore, take the major issues and do your best to measure them against what the Scriptures teach. By doing this you can have confidence that you are seeking to honor God with your vote.


2. Remember that no one enters the voting booth alone.

Before you vote, ask HWJV? You might be thinking, “What are you talking about?” That’s a fair question. HWJV stands for, “How Would Jesus Vote?” We need to ask this question because when we go into the voting booth we don’t go alone. Rather, Jesus goes into the booth with us. He said, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). This should really prick our conscious and make us want to vote in a way that pleases Him as our Savior. So we need to ask questions like: would Jesus vote for someone that is willing to abort babies that He as the Creator is shaping in the womb (see Psalm 139)? That is just one question, but you get the point! So let’s remember to take our values through the “Jesus Grid” because Jesus goes with us into the voting booth.


3. Remember that no matter who rules the earth God still rules the universe.

This principle is so encouraging because it reminds us that ultimately God is still in control. The Bible says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; like channels of water He directs it wherever He wishes” (Prov. 21:1). We can take confidence in knowing that God will still accomplish His purposes on earth no matter who is in office. God will not be caught by surprise on voting day and He certainly will not throw His hands up in the air in defeat. Therefore, let us not be alarmists, but God glorifiers who praise His magnificent name because no matter what comes against us He is still in control. We can say with confidence: “Our God Reigns.”


4. Remember to enter the voting booth prayerfully and to pray for your leaders continuously.

Paul the apostle instructed young Timothy by writing, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Savior” (1 Tim. 2:1-3). These verses are vitamin packed with spiritual nutrition. In three short verses we learn that God wants us praying for our leaders. We learn that our prayers are indeed effective and that praying helps us live “peaceful and quiet lives.”

5. Remember to pick up a voters guide so you are fully informed on the issues of the candidates that you know nothing about.

It’s easy to vote a straight ticket, but we may be voting for people out of assumption. It takes a little extra effort, but I would encourage you to pick up a voters guide to help fill in the gaps. I have been told that you can find these by Big Al’s and KW cafeteria on #73 near Jetton Road. By perusing through these we are able to cast a vote based on principal not partisan politics. Also, for you reading junkies: if you are looking for a few good resources to help you better understand voting, moral issues and the government I would encourage you to get:

-How Would Jesus Vote, by Dr. James D. Kennedy
-God and Government, by Chuck Colson
-Legislating Morality, by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek

And last, but not least, but the greatest…


6. Remember that as Christians, we can rejoice when we enter the voting booth because there is coming a day when Jesus will set up His kingdom and there will be no more need to vote (see Revelation 21:1-5).

I am so thankful that when I was nineteen years old by God’s grace He enabled me to vote for Jesus by asking Him to be the King and Ruler of my life. As Christians, Jesus is our Supreme Ruler and authority and our sole purpose in this life is to make much of Him. We are to declare His fame to all people for His glory. We are to be the most satisfied people on this planet because we know that Jesus has already been “elected” as King of the universe. So while you’re out on the campaign trail this voting season charging people to vote for an earthly ruler, let us not forget that there is something far more important than deciding who is going to rule the United States, but who will rule our hearts. Our greatest honor as Christians is we get to campaign for Jesus by calling a lost and broken world to a gracious and healing Savior. So tell the people to vote next week, but more importantly tell them to vote for Jesus.

Voting with you,

Bobby

A Christians Job Description: “He Must Increase”

Before I stand up to share God’s Word on Sunday mornings one verse I often find myself praying to God are the words John the Baptist uttered concerning Jesus when he said of Him, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). With one verse John the Baptist highlighted every Christian’s job description. God has given us a mission of making much of Jesus and less of ourselves. God designed each of us with one overarching purpose: to spread the fame of Jesus.

John the Baptist was a person whose heart was utterly and completely swollen for God’s glory. He was a champion for God’s majesty. Life for John wasn’t about John, but Jesus. No wonder Jesus said concerning him, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” What a compliment. John the one who acknowledged Jesus as the greatest of all, received in turn the words from Jesus, “no one born greater than John.” John became the least in Jesus’ presence and Jesus saw that as greatness.

What would make Jesus say such a statement? I believe it was because John rightly saw himself in light of God. He knew he was nothing without God. Shockingly, John the Baptist would have a hard time finding a job in today’s local church. Why? Because he doesn’t fit the mold! He’s not professional enough. We want passion we say, “but keep it tamed.” We want the Word taught, “but keep it in a box.” John the Baptist was an out of the box kind of guy. He wasn’t neat and he certainly wasn’t worried about being PC. However, his heart burned for the glory of God. He had one white-hot passion and that was to point people toward King Jesus. He rejected typical man-centered living and became a God-centered, Spirit-filled preacher who rightly understood his job description: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Well said, John! Guess what? John’s job description is your job description and my job description. “To increase Jesus through our lives.” So the next time your tempted to think, “It’s all about me” remember that our true job description is boiled down into one simple phrase, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”