Non-political

Political elections. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Not.

Politics saturate commercial time, telephone calls from local candidate offices interrupt dinners, the mail box is chalked full of political mail (including the fake US birth certificate of Obama’s we got recently), and social media is in a frenzy about who is right and who is wrong.

I’ve never been interested in politics. The first time I could vote though, I did and I actually had fun doing it, I felt a real responsibility to vote and kinda like America was depending on me to do my part.

Now many elections later, I consider myself non-political.

I’m not sure that’s a real thing, I kinda just made it up one day because I’m just not doing it. I’m not going to spread my party’s propaganda. I’m not going to retaliate against those whose political stand is different than mine. I’m not going to be consumed by who runs America for the next 4 years. Just not gonna do it.

Yes, I still have an opinion on certain political matters. I am adamantly opposed to taking the life of an unborn child, any child, no matter how many fingers, toes or chromosomes they have, and

regardless of who did what to whom or what concocted story people want to make up to justify it (because the majority of abortions are not happening because of rape. They’re happening because people made a mistake and therefore are willing to take the life of a child to cover their mistake up. Yep, it’s that straightforward. Sorry for the side track.).

I also believe in just wars, not ‘just because we want to’ ones. I believe that America fought for certain liberties, but has now confined itself and restricted many of its own freedoms for its own gain. 

And don't get me started on income tax. 

Several weeks ago my pastor gave a message on John 18 and in that message he explained that our culture overestimates the power of politics, while underestimating the power of Truth in the long term. (http://faithchurchpa.org/sermons     Sermon Titled: A Kingdom of Truth). Too often Christians get caught up and begin deceiving even themselves that our politicians hold the answers, that they will straighten the atrocities of America out, they will solve our problems, all the while forgetting that we have the answer, we have the truth.

He also mentioned a few comments made by Pastor John Piper in an article titled “Vote as though not voting”, such this one, “We should do it [voting]. But only as if we were not doing it. Its outcomes do not give us the greatest joy when they go our way, and they do not demoralize us when they don’t. Political life is for making much of Christ whether the world falls apart or holds together.” (http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/vote-as-though-not-voting)

Let me explain what I’m getting at and why I’m non-political (and yes, even after saying all of the above, I’m still non-political).

For me, it matters little who wins and who has what title in politics. Sure, of course each party has agendas and if taxes get raised, we’ll pay them and it will stink, and if they change the wording on a bill that affects my life, I’ll need to alter that particular detail of my life, but in the big picture, I have a King. And He sits much much higher than Obama, or Bush or Clinton, or Romney (now if Ron Paul was on the ticket….just kidding!).

My hope is not in a man or woman. My hope is in Christ and Christ alone.

It worries me that so many Christian get so caught up in the political tit for tat. People lose relationships over it, they say hurtful things and can become very blinded to what Jesus has to say about it all.

I am not for a second saying Christians shouldn’t vote, and vote responsibly. Sometimes I think there are more responsible ways to vote than just pulling the Republican lever (or push button as our super technological world offers now).  There are more than 2 parties (what!? There are??) and there are issues way bigger  than what the surface will show. And if that is classified as ‘throwing away your vote’, so be it. Our responsibility is not to the candidates, it’s to God. It’s to upholding His standards regardless of what the world does.

And to be honest, there are many important seats up for grabs at each election that many people ignore, such as delegates during primaries. There are men and women out there really fighting for what is right. But sadly, often Christians would rather just go with the status quo and blindly put their faith in someone that says an awful lot of stuff to just get popular.

Luckily for me, my husband is much more political savvy than I am, and gives me a little cheat sheet of who he’s researched to be legit and responsible.

(If you know me at all, I’m not really one of those ever deferring wives, but sometimes he really does know a bit more than me and in these instances.)

Christian, don’t get too caught up. Jesus wins in the end no matter what. That should be so encouraging! Before you ‘share’ that next political FB postcard, think about what that really does. It ostracizes those who differ from you, and gets people made. It puts wedges in friendships. Instead, pray. Instead, call a friend and tell them why the political issues important to you are important to you.

Vote for the issues that break the heart of God. It’s no use having petty political debates with everyone around you for the sake of sounding smart or knowledgeable or whatever the reason. Very rarely will that change someone’s mind or vote. But instead be in prayer that Christians will have their eyes open, that believers will allow God to guide their ears, and not simply follow the most popular party’s endorsements.

As for me, yep, I’ll be voting. Being non-political doesn’t mean I’m completely removed from the right and responsibility I have. But good luck trapping me in a political debate. Sure I’ll shake my head when I see friends posting little jabs at how dumb everyone in any other party is, and I’ll want to reply, but ultimately, God is in control and my two cents just isn’t worth getting involved. He upholds the world and being consumed by politics is simply not what I find in scripture to be of much importance.

Claiming the title of ‘non-political’, whatever that really means, gives me such a sense of freedom. It’s a relief to not have to get involved with the debates. To not have to give even 2 minutes of my time to watching nonsense debates where each party is only interested in sounding smart, saavy and making the other person look dumb. Nah, no thanks. There are much better things to occupy my time.