As Godly voters we need to look for candidates whose stance on issues are in agreement with the Bible. Otherwise the solutions they come up with will not be good solutions addressing the root problems. In the last devotional, I shared about the problem of poverty, which impacts the children for the most part. Today, I would like to address one of the causes of poverty.
Divorce a cause of poverty
Single family homes have a greater likelihood to live in poverty. According to povertyusa.org, 31% of single family homes with no husbands live in poverty. 50% of families become single family homes due to divorce. While some divorces are justified, we cannot excuse 50% divorce rate that has impacted half of our families.
If we desire to reduce poverty in our nation, we should look at a large number of divorces happening in our society. The government regulates various areas of society such as prescription drugs, communications, commerce, pollution, etc. but when it comes to marriage we allow society to do as they wish regardless of its consequence to the children! If we believe that children are our future, then we should do what we can to support strong marriages. The church and the government should look for ways to assist those who are seeking help for their marriage. The government has waiting periods to purchase guns. Maybe we should have waiting period for those who want to marry! If we desire to address the root issues of poverty, we need to help people develop stability in their marriages and families.
Unfortunately, marriage has become a political issue in our society because people think they can have an opinion about its definition. We need leaders who understand and believe the true idea of marriage and are not willing to cave in to the pressure of public opinion.
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:24
“For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.” Malachi 2:16
God defined marriage as one man and one woman. He also declared that He hated divorce. It is only the recent “enlightened” leaders who are trying to appease the masses with their newly found definition of marriage. Some of our talented lawmakers coined the term “no fault divorce” to excuse a failure of our society to look deeper within to our true sinful condition.
We have reduced marriage to a feeling of love between two people who just want to be together. If a solid long lasting marriage could be achieved that simply, we would not have over 50% divorce rate in our nation. That should make any intelligent observer question the validity of the argument.
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
As a Godly voter, we can evaluate the candidates’ stance on certain issues and determine if it lines up with the Bible.
Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9
The above scriptures are instructions from King Lemuel’s mother to her son. She tells him that a king or a president has the responsibility and the privilege to be a spokesperson for those who don’t have a voice and no one cares about their well being. A king or a president is also to stand as the protector for people who are in danger. In addition, leaders should bring attention to the cause of the poor and the needy.
From above scripture, we can glean a few principles for our modern day leaders:
Protection of Life
The protection of human life in its every form is of critical importance for every healthy society. If we don’t value life in an unborn or an elderly, it will lessen the value of other types of individuals such as the retarded, the disabled, and the wounded war veterans. We need the protection of law for every stage of life regardless of age, race, ability, or productivity.
Plead the cause of Poor
For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. Matthew 26:11
Jesus told His disciples that the poor will always be with them. That tells me that while poverty is not a good thing, but because of sin in the world, it will always be around. We cannot eradicate poverty. Man-made programs that try to make things equal among all is not the solution to poverty. Many scriptures referencing the poor calls the individuals and society to do something but not necessarily the government. It wasn’t the government who made the Christians in the book of Acts to sell their possessions to help the poor. It came from their internal transformed lives in Christ rather than external coercion by government.
As God’s people, we should find ways to help the poor in our community instead of looking to government to provide all the answers to this issue. Additionally, not all poverty is equal. This issue is a complex matter with many causes. If we desire to address poverty effectively, we need to dig deeper. Many times, the largest victims of poverty are children because they don’t have any choice in the matter.
I will address one of the causes of poverty, which has become a political stance in the next devotional.
This is a continuation on the subject of our role as Godly voters when we don’t see candidates who seek God.
Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for thepraise of those who do good. 1 Peter 2:13-14
A governmental leader should clearly see the difference between “good” and “evil” and stand for what is true and just. We need individuals who are independent enough not to be pressured to take a politically correct stance. If citizens do right, they should be left alone, but if they do wrong, there should be no excuse for bad behavior regardless of faith, race, gender, position, or socioeconomic status.
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 2Corinthians 2:14
Internationally, our governmental leaders have similar responsibility when it comes to knowing good and evil. Our leaders should have no confusion about distinguishing our allies versus our enemies. The Bible is clear about not being equally yoked with unbelievers. In governmental context, we should not have close ties with those nations who don’t believe in our ideals of life and liberty. Those type of nations will not have America’s best interest at heart and certainly would not want to see us successful in achieving our ideals.
Moreover, as a beacon of hope around the world, how can America support nations who suppress their citizens or utilize their wealth to feed their system of oligarchy!? Our leaders should support and encourage those nations who value human dignity and choice, and promote similar values as our free democratic nation.
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional as we look at political issues from a Biblical worldview.
One of my readers and friends made the following comment about my last devotional:
“If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask …. I want a leader that seeks God, not sure there’s any among the candidates in the running.”
This comment was in relation to the topic of “Qualities of a Godly Governmental leader”. I agree that it is a difficult election year, but we still have to sift through all the noise to come up with the best person for this important position.
When we can’t find a candidate who seeks God, there are a couple of things we can do. First and foremost, we should go to the Bible to remind ourselves about the Biblical role of civil government in people’s lives and our responsibility towards government.
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 1Timothy 2:1-3
The scripture tells us to pray for those who are in authority and intercede on their behalf. This includes those we like, disagree with, or downright oppose. In recent years, it seems like Christians have joined one of two camps. The members of “involved camp” are very informed about politics, which sometimes can lead them to become political, rude, and disrespectful. The members of “uninvolved camp” desire to completely be oblivious and stay away from participating in their role as concerned voter. They believe since Jesus is the answer to everything, no need to stress or strive over politics. Regardless of the camp we are in, the Bible exhorts us to pray for our governmental leaders.
According to the above scripture, the purpose of government is to allow peace (Shalom) to be present in order for people to feel safe and lead a quiet life. It is important for governmental leaders to understand their role as individuals who maintain peace and protection for all citizens and especially for those who are trying to live a Godly and reverent life.
Over the years, the government has taken on many roles and has tried to be the savior/answer to every ill in society. As a believer, we should be clear about the role of government, so we can eliminate non-essentials and focus on issues that the government should participate in. This can help clarify the best candidate for the position.
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
The fear of the Lordis the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10
One of the most important qualities of a leader is to fear the Lord. Good leaders know where their authority comes from, and they are not deceived about who is really in control. They realize that if it wasn’t for God, they would not even be in that position, so they care very much about what the Lord says in governmental matters.
Sadly, in this day and age, we are more impressed with leaders’ level of education or popularity rather than their level of wisdom. Candidates spend years getting prestigious education and raise millions of dollars funding their campaign, but they would not necessarily bow their knee, pray, and seek the Lord on matters of great importance.
What if when a president or a presidential candidate gets asked a tough question, he/she responds by stating, ”This is a complicated matter. I need to ask the Lord and seek His wisdom on this issue.” This kind of statement would not be appealing to the masses, and neither would it make the candidate look strong and decisive.
We live in a pluralistic society where we don’t want to offend people with our beliefs. We don’t mind offending God who has given us this great nation and has abundantly blessed us with vast resources, but in the name of political correctness, we fear offending the voters.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5
The above scripture tells us that wisdom is available to those who ask. As a matter of fact, there is no reproach in asking, rather God is willing to give it generously to those who ask. The goal is not to create a theocracy but to include God in matters of great importance, and invite Him to direct and guide this amazing nation through uncharted territories. This nation will be successful when we return to the Lord and put Him at the center of our attention. Governmental leaders should not fear the reproach of man but ask God for wisdom.
Do our leaders recognize the hand of the Lord who allows them to get to their prestigious and powerful positions? Do they have the courage to acknowledge Him before people and show their faith as a lifestyle rather than a ceremonial event?
Let’s pray for Godly leadership for our nation, and let’s pray for ourselves that we would evaluate leadership not based on our culture or worldview but God’s view of leadership.
I am going to pause from the topic of “Qualities of a Godly Governmental Leader ” to focus on this important day.
Today is a significant day in history; it marks the day that evil and good came to a head on crash! This is the day that all powers of hell broke loose, and the darkness took over the land. God removed His hand of grace and allowed sin to be seen for what it really is. Every form of decency and justice disappeared, and false accusation and betrayal became the prominent players in this cosmic conflict!
When Jesus and his disciples stepped into this Friday centuries ago, Good Friday was anything but good! Fear, trepidation, confusion, pain, rejection, distrust, denial, and betrayal all came together to create a very dark day. The Son of God took on the sin of humanity and exposed the depth of sin that lays doormat in each of us waiting for an opportune time.
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15
Jesus prays in the garden Matthew 26:39-40
This is the day that God reached into the depth of hell to take back the keys to the Kingdom of God, which the devil stole in the Garden of Eden. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus made the decision that He was willing to go to the cross in order to crush the devil once and for all, but before he could do that, he had to be willing to be crushed by the weight and the agony of sin.
Good Friday is only good because of the fruit it produced in the form of Jesus’ resurrection and redemption of humanity. There is no Easter without a dark Friday. It is only in retrospect that we call that first Friday, “good”. It is also in retrospect that we can look back at our lives and call something that was painful, hurtful, and unjust as good. We call it good because God’s mighty hand delivered us and brought us to a new place in our relationship to Him. He chose to love us, freed us from the bondage of sin, and brought us to a safe refuge in Him.
Let’s celebrate this day with complete appreciation for Jesus’ love and sacrifice for us, and let us be encouraged that God always has the last say in His children’s lives. When we surrender ourselves to Him, He can bring about something powerful out of a painful season of our lives! Amen!
But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; Exodus 18:21-22a
The above scripture highlights several characteristics that are important in Godly governmental leaders.
Capable: Leaders should have the ability/experience to do the job. They are not just spiritual people but are skilled as well. As believers, we should look for excellence in our leaders as it comes to their capability. We should also train up our children to be skilled in their work as Joseph and Daniel were in the Kings’ courts. Are we looking for leaders who are capable to take on the big responsibility of running our great nation?
Trustworthy: Unfortunately, this is not an important criteria for leadership nowadays. However, as believers, we need to hold the plumb line and not ignore God’s standard. Leaders cannot have duplicity in their words and actions. They should be individuals who are trusted and respected by their spouse, their colleagues, and the public at large. Leaders should not have shady dealings or associations that could cast a shadow of doubt on their integrity.
Unfortunately, in the political climate of our times, there is much mudslinging going on between presidential candidates. Then people feel the need to take a side with one of the candidates and attack the opposing one. As believers, we should not tolerate or excuse anyone’s shady dealings. That’s a character issue. Getting into the position should be secondary to the candidates’ moral integrity and character.
Hate Dishonest gain: Another important character trait is that Godly leaders hate dishonest gain. If someone hates something, they will stay as far away from it as possible. They will not get close to the edge of a boundary to get tempted. They don’t partake in questionable activities that makes people wonder how they gained their wealth.
Our democratic type of system keep us immune from corrupt and autocratic leaders. However, our costly presidential campaigns, open the door to special interest groups to pour large sums of money in the political engine. Some of those donors are doing it in the hopes of legislations that will benefit their agendas. We need individuals in the legislative and executive branch who are willing to care about the will of God first and the will of the American people second.
I will share about one of the most important qualities of a Godly governmental leader in the next devotional.
I teach American Government to Seniors in high school, and we have many conversations about current presidential candidates, party debates, and the ongoing primaries happening right now. This week, I decided to slow down and help students examine what God says about character qualities of a governmental leader. The Bible has quite a few scriptures about leadership.
Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth. Numbers 12:3
In his early years, Moses was an impatient and rough person, which led him to killing an Egyptian to defend an Israelite, but the Bible calls Moses the most humble man on the earth! God picked Moses and processed him for years before he was ready for the great responsibility of leading Israel out of bondage. Moses was eighty years old when he began his leadership role. Do we really think someone in his thirties or forties is processed enough to be ready for the huge task of presidency!?
The context of the above scripture was about Moses’ family criticizing him for marrying an Ethiopian woman. Moses did not defend himself but God did. God chose to defend Moses by rebuking his family for speaking negatively about this man.
picture from thestoryofliberty.net
God is looking for humble leaders to take charge over a nation. A humble person doesn’t get offended easily and neither does he/she rush into judgment by attacking others. Moses patiently and humbly led the grumbling Israelites for forty years in the desert. However, the one time he disobeyed the Lord by hitting the rock rather than speaking to the rock, he was chastised by God for not representing Him properly before the people. Moses lost the chance to take the people to the Promised Land.
I wonder if our governmental leaders ask the question, “Is God pleased with how I represent Him before the people?” Could it be that our leaders have not had much success because their overall objective has been to represent their political party rather than the Lord?
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10: 23-25
Another key element in remaining spiritually healthy is in regularly assembling together with other believers. God has designed us to be in a community of believers. In the natural, when people isolate themselves, they begin to get depressed and develop all kinds of wrong ideas about life and others. Similarly, as Christians we are designed to be part of a community of believers to remain healthy spiritually and avoid deception. The Lord did not design us to do our spiritual walk alone. We were never intended to be lone rangers in the Kingdom of God.
Ironically, as Christians we yearn to reach the lost and tell them how Jesus can change their lives and their relationships, but at the same time we can have major issues with some people in the church. We cannot isolate our ministry from our relationships. Our lives need to be integrated to the level that we don’t have the “good compartment” and the “not so good compartment” in our lives.
The above scripture tells us that the precursor in not forsaking the spiritual relationships is to stir up love and good works amongst ourselves. If we are able to do this, then we will have a healthy and pleasant atmosphere. If we neglect to stir up love and good works, our hearts begin to get hardened towards our brothers and sisters, and after a while we find ourselves avoiding certain people. When the avoidance continues for a period of time, it eventually leads us not to desire having fellowship with the “church people”.
The writer of book of Hebrews exhorts the believers in continually assembling together as the “Day is approaching”. The world will continue to grow darker as we move towards the end times. This should cause us to be more mindful of having the loving support of other believers to navigate and remain courageous through tough times. The scripture tells us that many will fall away from faith in the last days. Is it possible because they were isolated that they could not handle the persecution and the rejection of the world?
Paul likened the church to a body and described how every part, regardless of its visibility, contributes to the health of the entire body (See 1Corinthians 12:12-31). We can be very talented and anointed in certain areas, but we still need the community of believers to grow together, to fellowship, to serve, and to support each other. While Paul himself was a very gifted man, he always longed to be with the saints as he stated in many of his letters.
I will be the first to tell you that relationships in the church are not always easy. As a matter of fact, they can be very hurtful. However, I cannot create a theology based on my experience rather I want to experience what is theologically true according to the word of God. Let’s pray and ask the Lord to help us to be contributors of love and good works among believers and let God do His work to purify and mature us as the body of Christ!
Our thoughts and words are two other elements in our spiritual health. They are really tied together as a two-sided coin!
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11
Paul describes a childish behavior by outward indicator of one’s speech and an inward indicator of one’s understanding and thoughts. If our words are childish, they stem from childish thoughts and understanding.
Our words are a good indicator of the type of thoughts we entertain as well as the prism by which we see the people and the circumstances around us.For example, if we have a tendency to feel like a victim when others disregard or shun us, it can generally lead us to gossip or complaining about them. It is in those instances that we need to make a decision not to entertain those kinds of thoughts. If our thoughts don’t change in that area, we will continue to use our words to describe ourselves as victims and complain about others who treat us wrong.
If we want to remain healthy spiritually we need to face the truth that we can’t change anyone except our response to them. There will always be people who will push our buttons and make us feel less. The sheer fact of letting other people have control over us can cause a great feeling of victimization.
A sign of healthy spiritual growth will be in the way we think or speak about ourselves and others. Our relationships are a good indicator of how well we use our words and our thoughts. If we have ongoing struggles in relationships, we should wonder how healthy we are spiritually.
Spiritual health should have an impact on the quality of our relationship with others. If we find ourselves in continual conflict always frustrated by others’ behavior but not coming to a resolution of a problem, we should ask ourselves: “Has the word of God done any pruning of my choice of words? Am I allowing others to control my spiritual health? Am I convicted of how I speak about others? Do I passively allow my mind to think whatever it wishes about others? What does it take for me to grow up in these areas?”
