The Election Results Are In, Now What?
Well here we are just weeks after the election results.
Yes, great amounts of money were spent on this election only to result in a nearly identical government structure.
Yes, the sources of frustration with the current government operations will likely continue until the next election.
And yes a Liberal minority will continue to lead our great nation.
The question is…now what?
I’ll be honest, my natural bend is away from politics, not towards. And I’m not just talking about this from a public platform perspective. Even in my private life, I am not the guy who reads or watches news frequently and regularly discusses politics among friends. If the subject comes up, that’s great, but it’s not my first choice.
I don’t have a solid reason. It’s a combination of lack of interest, frustration with the ‘game’ of politics, and the inability to see how my vote and interest could really make a difference. So for many years of my early adult life, I simply drowned out the noise, happily living in political oblivion.
Then the USA election in 2016 happened.
I stayed up to watch the results (that was usually the extent of my involvement in politics), and as the night dragged on and on, I was reminded of why I don’t “waste my time” on this stuff – in addition to the time and energy spent trying to keep up with politics, now I was losing precious sleep!
But in the late hours of the night, I heard the whisper of the Holy Spirit. “How do you expect to impact a nation if you don’t take an interest in its government?”
Of course, I’m not American, but I knew what God was addressing. He was using the American election to point out my lack of involvement in the politics of my own nation. I’d like to say that since this moment I’ve become a political expert – researching parties and policies, and the promises that come with them. I’m not an expert by any means, however, I have purposed to take an interest in the subject to the best of my abilities.
Below are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way that have allowed me to posture my heart towards our government, regardless of who is at the helm. These tips become especially important during an election.
Now that the results are in, here is what I believe each and every believer is called to do:
- Feel – Let’s not kid ourselves, elections are emotionally charged. Some will be elated with the results, others disappointed, and many in between. If you’re upset, be upset. If you’re happy, then rejoice! These emotions come with the process and it’s better we confront them head on.
- Preserve The Priorities – As believers, we must let our understanding of scriptures guide our stances. One of the greatest challenges we face is that no party stance perfectly aligns with scripture, no matter the interpretation. Instead, we must identify the priorities and hold to them. Don’t let the results sway you either way – dig into the word, identify the priorities of God’s heart, and hold true to them.
- Don’t Pray – Unless you mean it, save your prayers. I know, that’s a bit harsh. Unfortunately, we are often taught to pray for our leaders regardless of how you feel about them, without a good explanation. So allow me to break this down – you pray for your leaders because you love your country. You don’t have to pretend you like the leader or their party, but we must pray for the people governing our country because we love our country. Regardless of how you feel about the election results, pray for the leader because you love your country. If someone would have told me this as a kid, I would have taken an interest in politics much earlier.
These times are not easy, and with so many challenges on local, national and international levels, our leaders have never had a greater task. It is all the more reason to stay even keeled, stay close to the heart of God, and continue to do everything we can to keep this great nation glorious and free.
