Recently a friend of my husbands who is not a believer asked him how evangelicals could have voted for Donald Trump for president. The mere fact that nonbelievers are asking how evangelicals could have voted for Trump is additional proof that Christians should not have supported the man. As a group of people who are supposed to be a witness to the world of God's glory, turning our back on His values and morals only serves to confuse nonbelievers and certainly opposes our commandment to be a shining light. If we truly believe our God can do anything, then selling out His values in order to accomplish things such as appointing a conservative Supreme Court justice only serves to put God in a box and says to the world we really don’t believe He is sovereign. And if we truly believed God can use anyone to accomplish His purpose (even a dictator or a despot) and we used that argument to justify voting for Trump, then why not Hillary? Couldn’t God have used Hillary? Or couldn’t God have made Mike Castle (a Christian who also ran) president? Yes, God appoints the leaders and so yes, God appointed Trump – but we shouldn’t assume we know the reason for God doing so. As we observe in OT times (1 Samuel 8), God gave Israel the king they were insisting upon – but not the king God wanted them to wait for and the king He wanted them to have. And we know how that turned out……………..
When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” 1 Samuel 8:18-20
Sound familiar? “We want a president who will Make America Great Again!” At what cost? And who decides if America will be great again? Us? Trump? Or God? Oh yes, good things have been happening – or so we think. The economy is better and a conservative Supreme Court justice has taken the bench. We see these things as good and we pat ourselves on the back for electing someone who accomplished that. Our pockets are fatter and we are happier. But is that growing us spiritually? And what about Roe v. Wade? Has that been overturned – wasn’t that the mission? Some say there is more chance of that happening now. Maybe. Or maybe God is expecting us to do something individually to affect abortion. Instead of standing before the Lord one day and saying “Lord, I voted for a person who put someone on the bench in favor of abolishing abortion with the hope that one day that might happen (but maybe it never did)” wouldn’t it be better to say something like “Lord, I stood next to the pregnant woman and held her hand when it came time to decide whether or not she would abort her baby” or “Lord, I took a young, lost mother and her baby into my home when everyone else turned their back on her” or “Lord, I adopted a child that might have been aborted was it not for someone wanting to give that baby a home and love.” You get my drift. Not all of us may be called to this mission field, but to use this cause as our reason to vote for someone who is a misogynist, liar and cheat is hypocritical. And laws don’t change hearts – Love changes hearts. God didn’t assign us to be political rulers of the world or to force our way of life on others. He assigned us to obey Him and HE would take care of the world. His ways are not our ways …………..
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9
We certainly have become puffed up as a people – thinking we know it all and the world relies on us as a country and as leaders of the “free world”. But what the world needs from us most is what we are failing to provide.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16
We read the part about good deeds and use that to justify what we are doing as a country when in fact we are ignoring the second part – the most important part – glorify your Father in heaven.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:19-20
How are we teaching the nations to observe all things that God has commanded us when we throw away His commandments in order to gain what we decide is worthwhile? And if we are not observing all things He has commanded us, will he be with us always, even to the end of the age?
God’s word tells us not to worry or be concerned about tomorrow. We are only to obey what He tells us to do today – God will take care of tomorrow. We are arrogant to believe we are the ones in control and the world or our country will either decline or become great due to our efforts. The only true effect we might have on this world and our country is to get on our knees in prayer and to be a light unto the world.
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matt 6:31-34
As a Christian husband or parent, isn’t your first responsibility to be an example, to nurture and create an environment for your wife and children to grow spiritually and be protected from worldly influences? How protected do Christian women feel when a man like Donald Trump is elected to the highest office in the land and their husbands, fathers, brothers were the ones who help put him there? How respected do women and children feel when the men in their lives will find a way to justify implementing their own agenda over showing respect to them? I close with excerpts from a letter written by James MacDonald, pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel. I am not saying this man has lived a perfect life nor am I saying he is right about everything or should be on a pedestal. I am saying I believe he got it right on this particular matter and I respect the stand he took by withdrawing his support of Mr. Trump. It was not a popular stand and I believe it was courageous of him to say it publicly. And I am guessing his wife and daughter feel valued, respected and loved by their husband/father.
(these comments are referencing the video that was released with lewd comments between Mr. Trump and Billy Bush)
Mr. Trump's comments released yesterday—though 10 years ago (he was 60)—are not just sophomoric or locker room banter. They are truly the kind of misogynistic trash that reveals a man to be lecherous and worthless—not the guy who gets politely ignored, but the guy who gets a punch in the head from worthy men who hear him talk that way about women.
I have a wife of 33 years, a daughter, and 2 daughters in law. I am not able to offer my time any further without an obvious "change of heart and direction" [that] true believers call repentance.
If Mr. Trump isn’t seeking our counsel now— 1) to be repentant 2) on how to portray that repentance, then the idea of a faith council (which has deteriorated into influence brokering anyway) is really kind of a joke right? I have spent my life helping men get free from such disgusting commentary on women—even writing my doctoral dissertation on self-disclosure of sin among men. I cannot and will not offer help to a man who believes this kind of talk a minor error.
Amen.
