Election Day 2016: A Christian Voting Guide

As November 8th has approached, I, along with many Americans, am uneasy on who to vote for President. Early voting has already begun and lines for the voting booths are out the doors. How are people so sure already? I feel as though I still do not have all the facts. With all that has come to light for both candidates, I feel as though I need a Christian voting guide to help me along. And then I realized, I already have that! The Bible is my Christian voting guide, and quite frankly, my guide through just about anything these days. This blog post is not a post about who to vote for, but more of an inside look into my thought process of making a decision through God’s word.

The History of Voting 

Let’s start from the beginning. America gained independence from England in 1783 after the American Revolution. We celebrate Independence Day on July 4th because America adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. In the first election ever, the only people who could vote were white men who owned property. It wasn’t until 1865 when the Civil War was over and slavery was abolished that all men could vote. Even though African Americans now had the ‘right’ to vote, people in power still gave them a hard time using scare tactics and literacy tests to keep them from voting. It wasn’t until one hundred years later in 1965 that Congress passed the 15th Amendment stating that all United States citizens could vote and not be denied due to race. A few years earlier in 1920, women all across the U.S. demanded that they have the right to vote and the 19th Amendment was born stating that no one could be denied voting rights due to gender. Last but not least, up until 1972, you had to be 21 and older to vote in many states. It was not until young men across the country started protesting about being drafted into the military at 18 years of age and not having the right to vote that Congress passed the 26th Amendment granting anyone over 18 the right to vote. To say America has come a long way in the voting process is an understatement. I wonder how many citizens used a ‘Christian voting guide’ back then?

What Does God Say About Elections

Even though the Bible does not mention the word ‘voting’, it still has great insight into how we should vote and who has the main control at the end of the day. Romans 12:1-21 discusses how we should not be conformed of this world and to think with sober judgment. It also discusses the marks of the true Christian: rejoicing in hope, being patient in tribulation and being constant in prayer. If this isn’t a part of a ‘Christian voting guide’ then I don’t know what is. We have to rejoice in the hope that Christ is the overall ruler. We are also called as Christians to be patient in tribulation. During this whole election process, many people have wondered where God’s hand has been in it all. Romans 5:2-4 talks about how our faith will produce perseverance over time. We must have faith that God is going to use whomever wins the election for His glory. The last thing God commands in Romans 12 is to be constant in prayer. Even when we don’t know what to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us. “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”. God wants us to trust in Him that at the end of the day on November 8th, no matter who is voted into office, His will is going to prevail. We only need to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation and be constant in prayer. This is the ultimate Christian voting guide.

Putting The Word Into Practice

So, what can we do to put this ‘Christian voting guide’ in practice? First, we must remember that God is neither Republican nor Democrat. He loves every human being and wants everyone to become saved by His grace. This includes Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Yes, both of them have done some disgraceful things, but so did many of the people in the Bible. King David had a man murdered and King David is in the lineage of Jesus. Everyone has a past, but everyone also has a future. God wants us to realize that he wants Clinton and Trump to rely on Him and not on their own works. It is our duty as Christians to pray for them both, especially the one that is voted in as President.

As far as voting goes, pray about it. Let God guide you on who you should vote for in this election. No, there isn’t a specific ‘how-to’ on what to do in this situation, but there is a Christian voting guide that has 66 books called the Bible. God calls us not to worry about the future because he already knows what is going to happen. We are privileged in this country to be able to vote and to vote freely, but this should not make us worry warts. I’ve met people that have so much anxiety about who to vote for and the election as a whole that they have temporarily forgotten that God is on the throne. Be in fellowship with fellow Christians and talk about the anxieties together. Study the Word together. Practice the ‘Christian voting guide’ of rejoicing in hope, being patient in tribulation and being constant in prayer. All God wants from us is to be confident in our faith in Him. Everything else will fall into place, including the election.

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