God doesn’t have to worry about winning next election

Iconfess to being more than a little intrigued by the political situation involving our neighbours to the south. I probably should be more concerned about minding my own business, but the unceasing drama has me captivated.

Observing the struggles involved in running a country has raised a question in my mind, “How does God do it?”

He’s got a whole universe to run, how tough must His job be?

As I ruminated on that thought, some partial explanations came to me.

First, God doesn’t worry about reelection. He doesn’t face the constant tug-of-war of public opinion polls. He’s not threatened by whether His view on pipelines, health care or talking to the Russians puts Him up two points or down three on any given day.

I extend genuine sympathy to political leaders whose every decision is impacted by thoughts of who they can afford to displease and still get re-elected.

God operates on a higher plane. He doesn’t seem too concerned about public opinion allowing Him to remain focused on what is right or wrong.

Second, contrary to my own sense of entitlement, God isn’t particularly worried about making me happy or making life easy for me.

Usually when we suggest that it is difficult being God, we have in mind that somehow He needs to accommodate the competing agendas and requests we all possess.

I’ve often joked that God must have a difficult job when the farmer wants rain and the bride wants sunshine and both are praying fiercely and expectantly.

The same is true when fine Christians on competing sports teams both bow in prayer before the game.

While I suspect He does care about rain and sunshine and perhaps even sports scores, God is more focused on a world where people learn to love both Him and their neighbours.

In simple language, He’s not focused on my agenda, He’s focused on His.

If I understand the Gospel and the Lord’s Prayer correctly, His agenda is to build His kingdom on earth just like it is in heaven; to establish in the lives of His people a commitment to bring about a place where wrongs are righted; a place where the poor are cared for and the oppressed are granted dignity and opportunity; where children and the sexually exploited are valued and loved purely; where hunger and poverty is eradicated as those who “have” become lovingly motivated to share with those who don’t.

His agenda is that people love Him so completely that they see things as He sees them and acts as He would act.

When I consider an agenda that grand, I wonder how completely it would paralyze any human leadership group if it were placed as an order of business on their meeting schedule.

Third, while contemplating all this, it hit me that God is attempting to carry out this grand agenda without mandatory taxation or conscription. It is all based on love.

Perhaps that’s the reason why religion that’s based on keeping a few rules (or a lot of rules) has always come up short. You can never legislate the Kingdom of God. It’s a kingdom of love.

I really do feel sorry for present-day leaders.

There are so many issues with which to struggle and so many publics to satisfy. But then I imagine what it would be like to be God.

“Lord, please don’t quit, we really need You to keep doing what only You can do.”

Tim Schroeder is a pastor at Trinity Baptist Church.