Our Nation Is Electing President, Not Pastor

When good leaders are in power, the nation is blessed. To be blessed means to have peace, to be well or to prosper. Good government keeps the peace and lifts up the people.

The Bible says a lot about governing. Another verse says, “By righteousness a throne is established.” People respect fair laws and good rulers. But bad leaders lose authority and people rebel. When authority goes, the only thing left is power. So the police get rougher, the laws get stricter, and more people go to jail. Respect for leaders makes keeping the peace a lot easier. Think of the good leadership demonstrated by Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela or King David.

Imagine you lived in Syria. The leader is named Assad. I remember when his father, who ruled before him, murdered 10,000 people. He gassed them to death — all the men, women, and children in a whole village. In those days, there were no smartphones to send the horrible pictures to the world. Assad got away with murder. So the son, an educated physician, is now ruling from that same throne on a seat of power that was not established in righteousness but based on brutality. Little wonder that the oppressed of his nation rose up in armed revolt. Their civil war has caused a massive exodus of millions of people, most fleeing into Europe.

In America, we overthrow our government every four years by voting. The genius of our system requires effective leaders who tell the truth and do their job. Since we choose our leaders, we get what we deserve. A big part of our electorate today is angry. A huge swing may take place by the likes of Trump or Sanders. Which way will it go?

Our election is heating up. We have a responsibility to determine who is to be trusted with power. We, the citizens, are responsible if we choose bad leaders. The church also has a duty to “pray for those in authority …” Why? Because spiritual forces are trying to deceive people and disrupt civil order.

Having said that, I’m not selecting a new pastor but a new president. He will have an army that kills people. I would like him to be courageous, not nice. It won’t bother me if he cusses or gets angry. The words “hell” and “damn” are Bible words, not blasphemy. When Peter rebuked Simon he said, “To hell with you and your money!” Cut the candidates some slack. We need strong leaders to keep us safe. Leaders deal with evil people who deserve no mercy at all.

I like it when candidates fight each another. If their campaign ratchets up the rhetoric and things get heated, it is fine. We have enemies who plot to kill us. So our leader must be feared and mean what he says. Strong leaders handle conflict and still make good decisions in tough situations.

The Lord loves America. Ask God to guide our election, to keep our next president safe, to give him or her wisdom, and to keep them free of deception or corruption. Good leaders are a blessing. They often serve with little thanks. They grow gray hair prematurely, age quickly, and often die young. I don’t want their job, do you?