Rev. Clay Smith: What Christians Should Do on Election Day…

FROM THE REV. DR CLAY SMITH
Religious staff

A colleague recently said to me, “I think I’m going to go on a long hike the day before the election and not come back for a week.” I asked him why. He said, “No matter who wins, it’s going to be crazy.”

Even if he’s right, I don’t think checking out is the solution. What should followers of Jesus do on Election Day?

Pray first. Pray that God will give you a peace that passes all understanding. Pray for our country, that no matter the outcome, we would all remember that we are blessed to live in an extraordinary country with remarkable freedom. Pray for guidance in your vote. No matter what your political stance, ask God for guidance. God might surprise you and lead you to vote against your political party. Remember, God is neither a Republican nor a Democrat. Be open to the leading of His Spirit.

Second: vote. More than once I’ve heard people say, “I don’t like either candidate, so I’m just not going to vote.” I understand that. But then I remembered that throughout human history, people have had no choice in choosing their political leaders. Kings thought God had placed them on their throne, no matter how many people they had to kill to protect their power. Dictators and generals took power and asserted their rule. Very few countries in the world can choose their leaders freely. As I pray through the candidates, I think of a list of leadership qualities called “The Five C’s.” A leader must be caring, coaching, communicating, courageous and caring at their core. Which leader best embodies these characteristics?

Third, Christians must respond to others as Jesus instructs us to. He makes it very clear: “Love your enemies; do good to those who persecute you.” On election day, followers of Jesus should not attack their political opponents. You shouldn’t rejoice in victory. Jesus told us to love people, which means wanting good things for them and working to bring good things when we can. I am embarrassed to see how some who call themselves believers respond to political discussions on social media. Their words and the attitude they express are not loving. Jesus would deny many of the things said in his name.

Fourth, accept reality. The reality is that there will be a winner. About half of our nation will be disappointed. If your candidate loses, that doesn’t give you the freedom to break laws, hurt others, or live in the land of denial. Nobody gets the reality they want. If I could achieve the reality I wanted, chocolate would have no calories and hair that falls out would grow back. God only deals with reality, not with fantasies, not with desires. Unless you accept reality, your prayers will be distorted.

Fifth, pray for the fruit of the Spirit as you respond to others. Paul wrote in Galatians 5 that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. If you are truly guided by the Spirit, these qualities will be present on election day. You’ll love the people waiting in line to vote. You will be joyful and have a deep sense of peace that God is in control. You will act with kindness and gentleness. You will be patient with those who are upset. You will be self-controlled and bear witness that “greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.”

Finally, remember that God is in control. I am unpleasantly surprised when people who claim to trust God with their eternal destiny do not trust Him to direct the affairs of this country and all countries of the world. Spend time reading the prophets. God is very aware of the sins of our country and all countries around the world. He works in the minds of leaders and in the affairs of nations, implementing his will over long periods of time. We can look back and see that God worked to attack the institution of slavery in our own civil war. When the Jim Crow laws came into effect, God began a long, slow work that led to the birth of the Civil Rights Movement so that the heinous sin of racism would become infected and begin to wither away. If you believe that God cannot work regardless of the outcome of the election, perhaps your God is too small.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Julia Howe was asked to write new lyrics to a popular song called “John Brown’s Body.” In the middle of the night she said inspiration struck her and she got up, found the stump of a pencil and wrote these words: “My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He crushes the grape harvest where the…” The grapes of wrath are stored. His truth advances.

Remember, his truth continues on Election Day.

Rev. Dr. Clay Smith is the senior pastor of Alice Drive Baptist Church in Sumter. Email him at [email protected].