Navigating elections as a Christian

I wonder how you’re feeling about the forthcoming election? Given the posturing of the various political parties, and some of the chaos of the last few years of government, it’s easy to become disillusioned with the whole process. It is important for us to remember that our hope for our nation is not in the government, but in Jesus Christ.

Seeking God’s justice

God is the one with the ultimate agenda for justice.

God is the one who has made a way for every human being to flourish and prosper.

And God is the one who has not only the diagnosis for why our world is so broken, but who also gave His life to provide the solution.

He alone is the Prince of Peace, who one day is going to cause all wars to cease and will eliminate the need for a health service.

Our duty as God’s people

But at the same time, we know that governments act as God’s representatives, and in that capacity they have the power to advance God’s agenda - even if they don’t realise it.

So just as the Bible tells us to pray for our leaders, I believe that we also have a duty to be diligent as we vote and play our part in choosing who those leaders will be. Many people in the world do not have that privilege, but we do and I believe we should take it seriously, even if it is not our ultimate hope. 

Taking steps to being informed

As we choose who to vote for it is good to be informed. The Evangelical Alliance have produced an election hub full of articles and resources to help us think about the election from a Christian perspective.

Our friends at Jubilee+ have written about how to think through who to vote for.

Finally, 24-7 prayer have produced an excellent guide to help us pray for the elections. 

A reminder: our hope is in Jesus

The reality is that different people within our community will come to different conclusions as to who to vote for. That is OK. Let us agree to disagree agreeably. No one political party will ever fully align with God’s agenda for our nation – our hope is in Jesus but our vote and our prayers for our leaders are still important.