by Bev Bentley Wilson
Elections . . . TV commercials, radio ads, newspaper ads, pre-recorded telephone messages. Elections . . . debates, arguments, mud-slinging, false promises. Elections . . . Our freedom to choose our government leaders. But, who can you believe? Can you trust any of them? You feel that you really do need to vote, but for whom?
Finally, the elections are over; TV, radio and newspapers are back to normal. Your phone stops ringing every 20 minutes with the recorded voice of a candidate telling you one more time why he or she should be your choice.
You did your part; you voted. You went out in the cold, stood in line at the polls, and you cast your ballot. They even gave you a little red, white and blue sticker to wear around to prove it!
But, your candidate lost. Oh well; you don’t have to take any of the blame for all the bad stuff that’s going to happen. You can complain endlessly about what a poor job is being done — after all, you didn’t vote for them. How could anybody vote for people who are so . . . immoral, stupid, self- centered, hateful. . .? The adjectives keep piling up!! Our country is ruined and our government has caused our downfall. . .
Don’t believe that for a second!!! Not even our government escapes the attention of the Bible. Romans 13:1-5 says, “Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power by God. So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. For the authorities do not frighten people who are doing right, but they frighten those who do wrong. So do what they say, and you will get along well. The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong. So you must obey the government for two reasons: to keep from being punished and to keep a clear conscience.” (NLT)
Well, you don’t have to like what they do! At least, you still have the freedom to say what you want about them. They’re nothing but a bunch of greedy, self-serving idiots anyway. But wait!!! The Bible has a verse for that, too. Acts 23:5 — “. . .Do not speak evil of anyone who rules over you.” (NLT)
None of this is to say that you shouldn’t vote; we all should. We can’t afford to become apathetic. We should feel compelled to have love, respect and concern for our country. God has blessed us richly and in many different ways. We are one of the few countries in the world where women’s rights are equal to those of men. We just need to keep in mind that regardless of who is elected, or what they do, God is still in control. He always will be.
When we become frustrated with our leaders, instead of speaking ill of them, we should pray for them. Even if we believe they are evil to the core and there’s no hope for them, keep praying. God created this world we live in and He controls it. We must never forget that.
As you go through this week, please try to keep this in mind (especially since everyone’s mind is inundated with politics right now). When you feel a complaint coming on or a derogatory statement coming from your lips — just stop and pray. It is guaranteed to do a lot more good!
Love and blessings to you all.