Friday, August 31, 2012

Why do we vote? Isn't God in control choosing whatever person is to be the leader of a country? In a country where leadership is not controlled by inheritance: ie, father/mother to son/daughter....how is a leader brought into leadership? There has to be a way for a person to come to that position of leadership. There are Christians that think that they do not need to vote for President of the United States...that it is not "our home." There are Christians who determine that God will choose whom the President shall be, so aren't we just thwarting His authority by voting anyway?

I agree, as a Christian, that the United States...even Earth...is not our home. Our true home is with our Lord and Savior Jesus. But if we are still living in our human bodies, and have not yet attained our final home; we have been planted by God in one country or another. I think as stewards of the country that God placed us, we need to do what we can to be good stewards of that country by making good choices--to the best of our abilities--for that country.

I believe that GOD will choose which man is to lead this country. In the Bible, at times, God chose great leaders; other times, He allowed some really sorry leaders. We do not live in a society where son follows father into the position of leadership. So, some means must be used for a person to be chosen at all. In the Bible, choices were made by the use of lots. For example: Acts 1:21-26 "Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his ressurrection. So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, "Lord you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs. Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles."

Is voting not just a varied way of casting lots? I think each Christian has a duty to vote. Each should pray to God, "Lord you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen."


Here are a number of reasons that I believe a Christian should vote: (DefendChristians.org)

1. Voting publicly recognizes that we submit to the authority of the political system in our nation as established by God. Romans 13:1-7
2. Voting recognizes the equality of all people and their right to speak and be heard. James 2:1
3. Voting is one way that we can obey God's command to seek the good of those around us and our nation as a whole. Philippians 2:3
4. Voting shows that we care deeply about who our leaders are as we are urged to offer prayer and intercession on their behalf. 1 Timothy 2:1,2
5. Voting is a simple yet significant way we can do something about politics in our nation. ‘All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing, Edmund Burke. Psalms 34:14
6. Voting makes a difference in the same way a grain of salt makes a difference, and that is how we are to influence our society for good. Matthew 5:13
7. Voting is a privilege not to be taken for granted. Those of us who reap the benefits of living in a democracy should play a part in upholding democracy.
8. Not voting is a form of voting, as it will influence the outcome. We need to take responsibility for our actions, as well as our lack of actions. I Peter 1:13
9. Voting is part of our stewardship to use all the resources we have been given in ways that honor God; to waste a vote is to squander a gift.
10. Voting is Biblical. Jesus commands us to fulfill our responsibility to the civil authority. Matthew 22:21
*Source: Adapted from Let F