John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States, was a committed Christian who knew what it was like to win and lose in politics. After all, his father was president before him. When asked why he continued to fight through opposition and even failure, Adams never wavered:
Duty is ours, results are God’s.
Tuesday, millions of Christians prayed and voted, getting up off the sidelines to do our civic duty and casting our votes for biblical values.
Of the more than 70,000 races nationwide — local school board, municipal, state, judicial, U.S. House and Senate — chances are not all elections went the way you voted.
But the results were not our responsibility. Our responsibility was seizing the opportunity to vote.
Galatians 6:10 is one of my favorite verses:
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
While the context of the verse isn’t addressing voting per se, the apostle Paul’s instruction encompasses every aspect of a believer’s life. Thankfully, in America, voting is our opportunity to take action and peacefully strive to bring good — the good of our faith — into our communities and our nation as an example to the world.
Jesus says in the latter half of Luke 12:48:
Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
God has blessed America with beauty, diversity, wealth and influence. To be faithful stewards of such a gift, it is our duty to vote. This is a tangible way our faith can bring His good into our communities and country.
We were called to be faithful stewards — and leave the results up to Him.
Scripture is clear:
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God (Romans 13:1).
What reassurance and peace to know we serve a sovereign God who is in complete control!
I encourage you to pray for your new leaders, regardless if they were the ones you voted for or not. Pray for them right now, even before they take their oath of office. Learn their names and the important issues they will impact. The effect this will have on your prayers and God’s answers cannot be overestimated.
Scripture urges us that “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior…” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).
In other words, discharging our duty to pray for our leaders is essential to achieve and maintain good government.
At My Faith Votes, we will continue to pray. But we won’t stop there.
We will continue to PRAY, THINK biblically, and ACT on our faith. We will view every issue through a biblical lens and we won’t become complacent in the next two years. Our mission is to bring the proven solutions of our faith to the public square all the time, not just during the election cycle.
We will hold our new leaders accountable as they represent us, and we will continue to stand boldly for the sanctity of life, religious liberty, and for marriage and the family.
We will engage in our communities and our cities, actively seeking compassionate and effective solutions for the least of those among us.
Together, we will remain vigilant, informed, and committed to be salt and light in our communities, our state and our country.
Ronald Reagan said it best:
Without God, there is no virtue, because there’s no prompting of the conscience. Without God, we’re mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.
As we move on from these 2018 midterm elections, join me in praying and standing as one of God’s lights on this, our “shining city on a hill.”
–
Jason Yates is CEO of My Faith Votes, a nonpartisan movement focused on motivating Christians in America to participate in local and national elections. By partnering with local churches, pastors and national faith leaders, My Faith Votes mobilizes and resources Christians to lead the conversation on the place of faith in culture and politics. Gov. Mike Huckabee serves as the organization’s honorary national chairman. Website: www.myfaithvotes.org. Twitter: @MyFaithVotes. Facebook: My Faith Votes.