There is an old saying that if you want to know what is the priority (god) in someone’s life just look at their checkbook. I contend that in today’s electronic world taking a look at someone’s social media feed might be an even better indicator. You only have to see what someone posts and shares to get a sense of what is most important to them.
Being a social media and news junkie, I’ve seen a lot over the last few years and especially in the last month that causes me great concern. Most of what I read anymore is political in one form or another. The church in the US has made politics our god. We have convinced ourselves that moral issues are political issues and that our chosen candidate is going to fix all the moral issues in our country. We’ve got 240 years of history as proof that this doesn’t work. We have invested so much time, energy, and hope into believing the person that wins an election is going to make or break our nation that we’ve lost sight of Jesus.
You see, our real king is God Himself and the only to whom we as Christians should hold any allegiance. He’s the one in charge of this world and is going to allow any political outcomes to work to His plan. He is the Creator and Author of this life and you better believe He’s got the grand plan even though we can’t always see it.
Church, we have perhaps a once in a generation opportunity to share the greatest message of hope in the history of man to a world that is begging for all the hope it can find. And yet, we continue to squander precious moments of time arguing about who should be elected and complaining about potential and alleged misdeeds by political parties. Imagine what might be done if the church spent every moment of the time currently spent worrying and complaining about politics on spreading the gospel and the hope that we have in Jesus. I believe we would be on the brink of another great revival if that were to happen.
Friends, we need to divorce ourselves from politics. We absolutely should pray for the leadership of our country. We should vote for who we believe is the best person to lead this nation, but that is where our involvement should end. We have proven that we are not currently capable of keeping politics in perspective with the ultimate mission we were given. Jesus came to us, lived with us and taught us how we should live, was murdered as an innocent man to be the ultimate sacrifice to wipe away our sin, rose from the grave defeating death completely, and will come again. Death holds absolutely no fear for the followers of Christ. In the specter of the current pandemic, I don’t know anything that could bring more hope to people than to know this suffering is temporary and there is a reward so much greater for those that accept Christ.
Christians let us put aside politics and let us put spreading the incredible message of hope that is the gospel to the world front and center in our lives.