On Voting: A Call for Christians to Vote

Tomorrow brings about the close of the latest election season. For many, we have been bombarded with all sorts of ads encouraging us to vote for a particular candidate or a particular ballot measure. Even the greatest political enthusiast can admit that it becomes exhausting at some point. Beyond that, for some Christians, it can feel like a waste of time. They wonder, “Is it really important to vote?” “I know God is sovereign, so what does it matter if I show up?” “Our pastors are constantly telling us to live with a mindset that this world is not my home; isn’t this a way to be distracted by the cares of the world?”

How we answer these questions matters. Does a Christian have a responsibility to vote? Does the Bible give us an explicit command to vote? Simply put, the Bible does not stipulate anywhere that we are to vote. The Bible was not written to people who lived underneath government systems that afforded them the right to speak about who their leaders would be. In fact, through much of history, this ability to speak to leadership issues was not granted to the people. So we arrive in the 21st century with an option afforded to us in the public square, and we might be tempted not to exercise it. With that said, the Bible does instruct us about how we live in a society around us as Christians. It is with that in mind that the case can be made to call Christians to vote. To do this, I want to look at two themes given by Scripture that push us to the ballot box and close with some helpful reminders after we vote.

Seek the Welfare of the City

Jeremiah 29:1-7:

These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: 4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.

Jeremiah, as a prophet, tells the nation of Israel that they are to seek the welfare of the city while they are in captivity. In verses 8-9, we learn that there had been false prophets who had been teaching that the Israelites would only be in captivity for a short time. The message, however, from the Lord was that they would actually be in captivity for seventy years. Since Israel will be in captivity for this extended period of time, they are to go ahead and seek the welfare of the city. Rather than leave the people of Babylon alone, they were to be invested in their lives and show them how the worship of the one, true, and living God brought blessing in their lives.

Christians are still called to seek such benefit in the cities where God has placed them. Often Christians think in terms of social programs to deal with the city and its welfare, as well as systematic programs to reach them with the Gospel. So Christians run food and clothing banks, look for opportunities to serve our neighbors, clean up parks and rebuild dilapidated parts of the city. They look to serve those who are marginalized and hurting by ministering to those who are homeless or struggling to make ends meet. In addition to all of this, Christians seek to serve those women in their communities who are struggling with unplanned pregnancies and advocate for them and their children. All the while, through each act of service, Christians are looking to spread the message of the Gospel.

Let me be clear, all of these things are good and right and should be continued. We should not forsake or drop one of these activities for the sake of being more engaged in our political processes. However, to do all of these things and not exercise our right to vote as a part of seeking the welfare of the city seems to be shortsighted. In addition to the candidates that we elect, there are ballot initiatives that impact the citizens of the cities and states and their collective welfare. Christians will need to pray and research the different initiatives as they think through voting.

Another way that voting plays out is in electing candidates to various posts. Again, as American citizens, we have the privilege of voting on many positions throughout local, state, and federal offices. The people who hold these posts will be responsible for writing and enacting laws. Further, depending on the office, the elected official will appoint other people to posts and determine how money is spent and which programs move forward or don’t move forward. Christians, then, must carefully select candidates based on these realities. Functionally, the Christian cannot become enamored with political power but focus on what will cause society to flourish in light of the clear teachings of Scripture. How do Christians remain immune from the trappings of power, privilege, and influence? By returning to the reminder from Scripture that we are truly citizens of heaven before we are citizens of America, so we must be driven by a different agenda than politicians.

Glorify God in Every Activity

1 Corinthians 10:31

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

The simple call of Paul to the church of Corinth is a call that all Christians must be sensitive to in their life. Too often, we are quick to separate the Christian and the secular, but Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, demands more. Notice how Paul begins, “whether you eat or drink.” These are two relatively minor tasks, but in the city of Corinth, they had major implications for the life of the Corinthian. Remember that at this time, there was a major controversy over eating meat offered to idols, and Paul is teaching them how to respond to the question. So for the Corinthians, the eating and drinking needed to reflect the God that they served and his glory. If we give careful attention to the text, we observe that Paul’s argument doesn’t stop there. He writes, “whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Paul broadens the call for Christians to think through every activity as an opportunity to glorify God. There is not one thing that Christians participate in that God does not call them, through his Word, to glorify Him.

So Christians, as we head to the polls on Tuesday, we go knowing that God calls us to steward this gift well and to think through how we might glorify God in the task of voting. So as we determine who will get our vote and what ballot measures we will decide, let us go asking the question, “What will glorify God?”

We live in a very unique time in history as Americans, with more say about who will be in authority and what those in authority can do. Most people throughout history never had to give what we have talked about a second thought because they didn’t have the option to speak. Given that unique place in history and knowing that God has given us this opportunity, let us not waste the moment. May we seek to glorify God in even the task of voting.

Helpful Reminders

Lord willing, we will head to the polls, or maybe you have already voted, so what’s next? I thought a few helpful reminders would be in order to guide our thinking as we wait to see the results posted:

1.     Pray

The call for Christians to pray for God’s will to be done is necessary all the time, but during the tumult of an election cycle, even more. As our hearts are tempted to run with all kinds of speculation, we need to rely on God through prayer even more.

2.     Remember that the King’s Heart is in God’s Hand

Provers 21:1 “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; he turns it wherever He wishes.” No ruler operates outside of the sovereign hand of God. We may not see the results we desire, but it does not escape the reality of God’s plans. We need to be reminded that God is over all things, even our elections.

3.     Submit to Authorities

The first nine verses of Romans 13 remind us again that we are called to submit to those in authority over us and that they have been placed there by God. Again, as we think about the results, we cannot help but see that God is still in control.

4.     Pray for Our Leaders

1 Timothy 2:1-4 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Our prayer lives matter, and we should be praying for those in leadership over us, even if we disagree with them. We pray that the Lord would direct them and for those who are not yet Christ followers that they would come to saving faith.

Conclusion

The great temptation tomorrow is actually found in the evening and Wednesday morning. Our temptation is to find our joy and happiness in the results of the election. However, election results are not where we find our joy but rather in the Lord. So we go and vote, but then we trust in the Lord and continue to follow His Word and His plans. The great fact about voting is that while we may elect new officials but we never need to elect a new God. For He is perfect in all His ways, and He will never disappoint us. May we go about the city tomorrow seeking its welfare not based on who we are but with a sincere desire to glorify God and serve the people we live with daily.

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