After an election

Don't stop praying!

By Maryl F. Walters

BEFORE AN ELECTION many people pray for direction in voting. They feel that listening for the guidance of God, instead of relying only on human opinions and reasoning, is very helpful. But what about after the election? If we're pleased with the outcome, should we sit back and relax? If we don't like the outcome, should we resign ourselves to a period of bad government?

There's a more constructive approach. The Bible says, "The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us" (Isa. 33:22). God is in control before and after an election! You're safe, and your country is safe, in His hands. And accepting that doesn't imply passivity. Trusting God calls for active spiritual reliance, not passive "letting go." We can acknowledge the almighty power of God in all aspects of life— public and private, despite negative appearances.

Knowing that God is supreme and in control provides a defense against the fear that other forces are in control. We know what it means to defend our country in time of war. But what form should our defense take at other times? To "defend" means to support, protect, shield, advocate, stand behind, vindicate. Supporting a country's leadership doesn't mean personally agreeing with the individual's policies. It means standing behind the office, shielding and protecting it from mistakes or evil influences by knowing that God is right there, in control. We vote for good government every day by defending it in our prayers.

More than just giving us peace of mind, affirming that God is supreme impacts every aspect of life. This kind of prayer clearly isn't a script for what we personally perceive to be right. The problem with human scripting is that frustration, anger, disaffection, may take over when we can't get everyone to vote for our favorite candidate or course of action. If we're disappointed with the outcome of an election, what's the remedy?

Nothing can remove the divine influence from your life.

It's instructive to examine the word disappoint. The prefix dis denotes separation, negation, reversal. (In Roman mythology, Dis was the god of the underworld.) But God has appointed each one of us to be His likeness. That appointment can't be negated by our human opinions or "dis"-appointments. Choosing between people and parties in an election is clearly not the only choosing we do. We make choices every day about the kind of thoughts we think. And we've been appointed by God to choose good thoughts over evil ones, truth over propaganda, intelligence over mindless bureaucracy. God's children, the expression of His will, are governed exclusively and wisely by Him. Realizing this truth will help us and our government.

No matter how an election turns out, God is always at the helm, intelligently governing. Nothing can remove the divine influence from anyone's life.

God, not the winning candidate, is the governor among the nations. As the Bible promises, He will save us.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Praying... it's a little like tying your shoes