Our Country’s Leaders

October 16, 2024

How do you as a Christian think about the upcoming national elections in November? What do you do and say as a Christian after the elections are over? Especially if you are very disappointed with the outcome.

The Biblical worldview is that God is in control of the nations, as seen in Psalms 22:28 & 67:4. In Daniel 2:21, we are told that God sets up kings and deposes the leaders of all nations. According to Romans 13:1, there is no authority except that which God has established. This includes those who are immoral and pagan. No one can be a leader of any nation without God’s approval. 

We know that Jesus Christ is governing the nations. As he was about to go into heaven to be enthroned at God’s right hand, Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18) This means that those elected as leaders in November can only enter these positions with the approval of Jesus Christ. 

We may not understand why and how this fits into the big plan for human history. It may be that we get the leaders we ask for or deserve. This may explain why we may have leaders who are not godly. Israel was punished in many ways when they strayed from God. One of those punishments was poor or tyrannical leaders.

We do know that all leadership changes will serve to bring in God’s kingdom and bring more people to Christ. (See Matthew 28:18-20 and Romans 15:8-12.) Christ’s kingdom sets the agenda for all history, including our nation’s history. This was also the point that God made in a dream to Nebuchadnezzar, the leader of the ancient superpower of Babylon, as described in Daniel 4. At the end of human history we will see what the overall strategy was and we will recognize that it was good and wise.

Here is what we could do as Christians heading into the elections and beyond.

• Honor and praise Jesus Christ on the throne of God as the true sovereign of all nations. This helps us keep perspective.
• Ask for guidance and wisdom as we prepare to vote. We can trust the Spirit to guide us through complex issues and rhetoric.
• After the election, thank the Lord for guiding our nation. Ask him to use it all to bring in his kingdom.
• Pray for our leaders and their welfare, that the Lord would bless them and lead them. (See 1 Timothy 2:1-4.) The reason for such prayers is that we may have peaceful lives and that people would be saved.
• Ask God to provide us with an attitude of honor and respect for all those in political office. (See Romans 13:1-7.) This includes giving taxes.

Something else to keep in mind. Our primary citizenship is not found in any country in this world. We are called to invest ourselves for the good of our country, even if that nation or its leaders are not God-honoring. (See Jeremiah 29:7.) But this is only our secondary loyalty. (By the way, that is why authoritarian governments are suspicious of Christians and the church.)

According to Philippians 3:20, our primary citizenship is in heaven. Our first loyalty is to Jesus Christ. (See also Hebrews 11:16 & 12:22-24.) According to Colossians 3:1, our center of gravity is in heaven where Christ is seated on the throne. All our lives, including politics and national affairs are oriented toward him. 

Entering this election season, as Christians we have confidence that the Lord Jesus will work out his plan. And it will ultimately be good. Through it all, let us remain faithful to Christ. And let us remain respectful of our nation and its leaders.

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