By Tim Spivey
I’ve been asked that question numerous times over the past few months. Here’s a brief response:
For whoever’s policies and values you think are most consistent with God’s Kingdom. That’s sometimes hard to tell, but not usually. If you’re going to vote, don’t waste it protecting your agenda. Don’t waste it trying to create the society your flesh thinks ought to be. Seek God’s will on earth as it is in heaven.
A vote is an important thing. However, voting is not the most important thing you can do. Following Jesus faithfully and leading in your church faithfully is the most important thing you can do to influence society.
One more thing as we head into a tumultuous next few days: If your candidate, proposition or city ordinance doesn’t win, follow Jesus anyway. Resist the temptation to put too much faith or trust in human government. At best, it can be an instrument in God’s hands to bring about positive societal change. At worst, it can be the Church’s worst enemy and use its power to virtually force moral decay. It’s right for us to seek God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. It’s wrong for us to make government our hope. Our hope is in Jesus Christ and His Kingdom – not government.
Jesus didn’t spend a lot of time worrying about Rome. He spent far more time teaching, healing and calling those who would follow Him. We should do the same, though sometimes that means going to battle on a battlefield some might identify as “political.” However, if we find ourselves thinking government will be the doing or undoing of God’s Kingdom, we make a catastrophic mistake.
God’s Kingdom, though like a mustard seed in its appearance sometimes, is the greatest of all the garden plants. God has worked during times when Pharaoh’s, pagans, wicked Israelites, Nero, and other evil people have been on the throne. Regardless of who “the most powerful man in the world” is at the end of tomorrow, they cannot and will not usurp God’s ultimate agenda. Only one Kingdom wins. That’s His.
By all means, vote tomorrow. I’ll be there, first thing. Together, let’s do our best to honor Christ at the ballot box. Then, let’s honor Christ in the aftermath by aiming our priorities and actions at what advances His Kingdom.
Tomorrow, vote the values of Christ alive in you. Vote that way.
Dr. Tim Spivey is lead planter of New Vintage Church in San Diego, CA. Tim is also an adjunct professor of religion at Pepperdine University and purveyor of New Vintage Leadership, a blog offering cutting-edge insights on leadership and theology. He is the author of numerous articles and the book “Jesus, the Powerful Servant.”
