I Voted today

I voted today… if that bothers you, I challenge you to keep reading till the end. 
I voted today for the first time since 2004. If my decision not to vote in the past bothers you, I challenge you also to keep reading till the end. 

For these past 10 years I’ve struggled, questioning myself about whether or not I should or even could vote as a Christian. 

Is voting democratic really an approval of the murder of unborn children? Or does voting democratic actually care for the poor and needy? Is voting republican an approval of the greed of the super-rich and greedy large businesses? Or is voting republican really an approval of Biblical authority? Is non-partisan voting even worth my time? 

People line up on both sides to defend why, “you can’t be a Christian and vote for ______.” 
So where do you find yourself in this argument? If you’ve ever struggled with whether or not you could vote while sincerely trying to follow Jesus Christ with your life, perhaps you understand where I am coming from. 

For 10 years I was confident that God was in control, whether or not my leaders cared about Him. When I chose not to vote, I trusted that the world was not careening out of control, but that God was truly at work to do what He wanted most done. Furthermore, I trusted that my vote would neither diminish nor enhance God’s control over His own universe. 

But I never believed, not even for a minute that what God wanted most was the preservation of American way of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That is far too small a thing for YHWH, the Creator and Owner of the cosmos, to focus on as His main concern! 

Is God more able to work in a society that has laws that somewhat support His moral nature? 
Is God less able to work in a society that hates Him? 
Is God only able to work when our politicians or laws seem to support His views? 
Is the USA under God’s control only when our laws support His morality? 
Is God bound to bless our nation if we place the 10 commandments or any other commands from the Bible in front of our monuments? 
Is God’s desire for Christians to try and to fix their nation through politics? 
Or would God rather Christians give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s? 

Bigger question here: is God’s main concern for a nation about it’s laws and politics, or is it always on the small segment of it that belongs to His Kingdom, and how He will use them for the redemption of as many others as possible? 

What if terrible, sinful politics are exactly what God will use to make His grace of redeeming sinful mankind to increase 10-fold? 

What a tragedy when Christians’ vision is more concerned more with this nation than with YHWH’s Kingdom! YHWH is working things out things for His Own Kingdom, for the liberation of slaves to sin, to rescue those who were dying eternal death.  

When some people think about God working out His plans, they cannot seem to imagine it happening unless it is being enforced by our government. When we seek for a solution to sin issues like abortion or homosexual marriage through governmental routes, we MISS the big picture! Whether or NOT our politics have ANYTHING to do with God changes NOTHING for our responsibility towards Him! Our concern must always be to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. 

I voted today, because God has put me in this place, at this time, and gave me this opportunity to point the world toward Him. But make no mistake, I put no confidence in that vote, nor in the fact that I live in a place where my vote counts, but rather in the One who controls the fate of this nation and every other nation whether or not their leaders even care. 

I’ll trust Him, and I’ll give to Caesar what is Caesar’s by casting a vote. I’ll do it by faith, but more importantly, I will live by faith when I walk away from the booth, and I won’t allow the concerns of Caesar to cloud my vision of God’s Kingdom, and THAT is how I’ll give to God what is God’s.