This Tuesday is voting day. After I drop off my oldest girl at school, my youngest daughter and I will head across the street to the Community Center to cast my ballot. It’s not lost on me how significant it is that I, a woman, get to vote. Participating in our democratic system humbles me. I think about women all over the world who will never have that opportunity. I think about the women who went before me to make my right to vote a reality. I think about my daughters and how fortunate they are to live in a time in history when not only do they have the right to vote but they have a true opportunity to be on the ballot themselves. Voting is important to me.
But I also think about my name. I think about fearing man over fearing God. I think about having to answer to God about my choices one day. My integrity is important to me, too.
I did not vote for either of the two primary presidential candidates in the last election. I wrote in a name of someone I knew would not and could not win. I wanted to participate in the system, so I did the best I could. Some people chose to vote for “the lesser of the two evils.” But the lesser of the two evils is still evil.
No candidate is perfect. No president is perfect. But throughout my adulthood, I’ve adopted a few “line in the sand criteria” that I’ve used to make decisions about who to vote for.
I mentor a young, college student once a week, and last time we met she shared with me her fear of our country and the state it’s in. We started to talk about voting, and I shared with her these criteria. For most people, this is going to seem extreme and ridiculous. You could easily point out to me a hundred other social issues God cares about. I know it’s not perfect, but it’s where I’ve landed.
Does he or she work hard to protect and defend the smallest of human life?
I try to think through the lens of an eternal mindset. When making decisions I ask myself, “What’s really going to matter into eternity?” It always comes down to one thing – people’s souls. What’s most important to God are people’s souls. When it is said and done, that’s the only thing that will be left. Our souls are what Jesus came to die for. Our souls are adopted into the family of God. Our souls are made in His image. Since this is true, I cannot support a candidate who does not work hard to protect and defend the smallest souls, the smallest of all human life, tiny unborn babies. If a person is not willing to defend the smallest of human life, then he or she is not emotionally, spiritually, or morally mature enough to protect and defend other forms of human life.
This criteria usually eliminates one candidate. You’re probably thinking, “Well, you always vote Republican, then.” Well, not necessarily.
Does he or she work hard to protect and defend “the least of these”?
Sometimes a candidate claims to be against abortion, however, doesn’t show evidence of valuing other aspects of human souls such as women, orphans, minorities, immigrants, refugees, the poor, the sick, the disabled, or the elderly.
In our country, we have this mindset that God only cares about our country, that we’ve made this a “Christian country” and so He’s blessed us, and that He sees borders and citizenship. Here’s a news flash … God doesn’t see the world or people like that. When Jesus came, all of that changed, too. We are called to love our neighbor, and “neighbor” doesn’t just mean “American.”
With our American strong work ethic, we also have the mindset that people who suffer in any of the ways I listed above “did something wrong” and so they should lie in the bed they made. This is vastly un-Christian. Jesus teaches us to care for people who are vulnerable without judging them.
I realize that there’s never been a candidate who works to protect and defend each of the groups I mentioned above. As I said, I start with whether he or she supports abortion or not, then I look into the other ways he or she protects and defends human life. I look for someone who works hard towards improving what matters most to God despite obstacles. Someone who shows progress in these areas.
After that, I look at a candidate’s heart toward him or herself.
Is he or she humble with growing character?
For me to vote for a candidate, he or she must realize his or her imperfections, have a contrite heart and be humble. Sometimes a person’s past should disqualify him or her from political positions. But most of the time a person just needs to be humble about his or her past. A person’s character matters – even in politics. I know that it doesn’t usually work that way, but it should.
I also look to see if he or she chums up to evangelical leaders, and other church leaders, for political gain, and if church leaders do the same to the candidate. This is a matter of integrity and if a person is who he or she says she is.
Am I Encouraging people Not to Vote?
I am not at all encouraging people not to vote. What I am encouraging is not making voting, our country, or our system of government an idol. Don’t put it above God. Don’t make decisions out of fear instead of what you know in your gut is right. Don’t put your hope in the next political candidates because they will fail you. Instead, put your hope in Jesus. Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. If there is not a candidate who you can support with a clear conscience, then don’t vote.
Right now I’m reading the book of Daniel. You’re probably familiar. Daniel was an Israelite who was captured by Nebuchadnezzar and went to live in Babylon when he was a teenager. Throughout Daniel’s life living in a pagan culture, Daniel respected Nebuchadnezzar and the kings that followed, but he never did so over honoring God.
At one point, King Darius made a decree that “whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions” (Daniel 6:7). Of course, Daniel did not follow this decree even knowing the consequences. He went to his house and continued to pray three times a day as he had always done, knowing the consequence. He feared God over fearing the King.
You know the rest of the story. Daniel was in fact thrown into the lion’s den, but God rescued him. Guess what? God will rescue us, too.
We do not have to hold our political leaders in such high esteem as if they have more power than God. When we do this, politics becomes an idol. God is in control. He calls us to honor Him in everything. “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father” (Colossians 3:17 NLT). We’re called to respect our leaders, but not at the expense of disobedience. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).
So friends, pray about who you should vote for. And if God does not show you a person who you can vote for while still honoring Him, then don’t vote. Write in a name or don’t vote at all. If we’re not voting out of apathy, disinterest, or laziness, then we’re not honoring God, either. But God is sovereign. He lifts us up when we are faithful. He protects us. Even if the worst happened, we’d still have Jesus. That’s good news.
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