Politics and Christ

Many conservative Christians are either active in politics or vocal about their feelings in the political realm, especially the issues that they feel are the most prominent or important. The question is how involved we as Christians should be. Many who profess to be Christians will, without hesitation, attack political leaders and basically wage war on some issues, not thinking about the consequence of their actions. I myself have been guilty of this mindset in the past. However, the Bible compares those that attack leaders with those in Sodom and Gomorrha in Jude. Also, Paul in Acts 23 immediately apologizes for speaking harsh words after he finds out the man he was speaking to was the high priest. In this instance, Paul was correct in what he was addressing, namely the hypocrisy taking place. This speaks to me that we should be careful of what we say and think of our leaders.

Many people will be careful in what they say of their spiritual leaders, but not so in what they say of their political leaders. We should readily pray for any leader, spiritual or political that we feel are getting off track, rather than attack them. After all, the best that we could ever hope to do is influence them, while God can change them. If we can influence someone, somebody else can influence them as well. But when God changes them, that is different.

Another companion issue, is when people go to war(Figuratively) over various issues, i.e abortion, homosexual marriage. Those seem to be the two big ones. I have seen many rail against these, proclaiming God's wrath on these issues. I wonder though, what if we spent as much time in prayer for these issues, and on the politicians that make laws concerning them, as we doing railing against them. Would it not be time better spent? After all God can move much more mightily than us. Would we not be better in striving to win people to Christ, than in trying to get sinners to vote, or rule on issues God's way? Seems to me that the more people in a nation that are won to Christ, the more the civil laws are would closely resemble laws that God would approve of.

Let us, instead of complaining about the direction of our country, instead pray, that God would change hearts and help us to lead people to Him. It will be of much more effect.