ILLUSTRATION:
“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”
? Albert Einstein
“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace.”
? Milan Kundera
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Sermon:
“How could you possibly vote for THAT PERSON?
Don’t you realize how awful of a choice that is!”
Maybe you're hearing this from people in recent days. This probably won’t surprise you, but not everyone votes the same, believes the same, or respects each other the same. This election season is sparking significant anxiety throughout our country, much even in my own heart.
The questions are staggering as countless numbers of emails, Facebook post, Twitter post and maybe 10 or 15 other places are full of anxiety from all over the place:
It feels like the past few months have been fueled by a rabid frenzy of emotions.
We would be ignorant at best if we fail to recognize the significance of this moment.
The question for is this:
As followers of Jesus—how do we navigate the stress and anxiety of this election season in a gospel-centered way?
We start with a simple act.
This is the moment, right here, right now, to invite the Prince of Peace.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. – John 14:27, ESV
No matter this election’s results (or any election results) nothing is greater than the eternal reminder that God is almighty on His throne. He is our Sovereign Lord, the One who is faithful and true (Rev. 19:11), our God who is closer to us than our next breath.
Many times the main driver of anxiety is fear, a type of fear we don’t find in the nature of God. This fear is a weapon often wielded in the hands of Satan our enemy.
We remember the warnings of Peter:
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. – 1 Peter 5:8, ESV
We cannot forget that there are invisible powers actively working to divide and destroy followers of Jesus throughout the world. While presidents and political parties come and go, we cannot forget our fight is not against flesh and blood (Romans 8:38-39). It’s against the evils of darkness; a fight we can only win through the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must wear our full armor of God’s protection if we expect to stand against the attacks of Satan (Eph. 6:10-20).
This is when we speak the truths of Scripture against Satan.
We reject Satan’s influence in our hearts and homes by being loving and kind to those who think and see the world differently than us.
Rather than being keyboard warriors, posting articles and fork-tongued rebuttals, let us speak love and hope to those around us.
When this election is over, how will the world know you are a follower of Jesus? Only by how your words and actions reflect the gospel to a confused, vitriolic world in desperate need of a Savior.
No matter who’s in the Oval Office, their influence and impact will forever pale compared to the One who sits on the throne of heaven.
Note: I preached this three different times and it was different every time. However, this greatly influence this message to my Churches:
https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/america/scriptures-to-soothe-your-anxiety-about-election-day.html
