Are You Ready to Vote in the Upcoming Election?

Are You Ready to Vote in the Upcoming Election?

Posted on by Michele Morin

(Thoughts on Voting from a Political Novice)

Voting always feels like taking a test for which I haven’t adequately studied. Maybe someday I’ll walk into a voting booth with confidence. This year, I’m doing my “homework” to become informed about the issues, and part of my preparation has come through reading the Old Testament book of Ezekiel.

We live in alarming days of assassination attempts and angry words. Accusations fly like invisible bullets. Ezekiel also lived in a charged political climate. He would certainly have appreciated the services of a present-day fact-checker to weed out all the hyperbole and false messaging swirling around on the banks of the Kebar River.

Ezekiel’s writing is meant to be shocking. His message of judgment to Israel is delivered as much through street theater as sermon notes, a device intended to hold the attention of his audience in exile—and his readers today.

Judgment had already fallen on God’s people, and Ezekiel was living it along with the other exiles. God’s glory had departed from the Temple in Jerusalem, and the first ten chapters of Ezekiel spell doom and destruction. Even so, God’s intent is to bless his people, and the pages of chapter eleven begin to rustle with rumors of a new beginning, new hearts, and new spirits leading to muscular obedience to God’s commands.

God doesn’t abandon his people. He demonstrates his power and holiness with one goal in mind: “Then you shall know that I am the LORD.” #readingezekiel

Earning Judgment but Receiving Grace

Like the Church, Israel limped in half-hearted commitment to God. They deserved judgment but received grace via restoration to their homeland. We deserve judgment, but we receive grace via the cross.

While Ezekiel requires us to look squarely at the results of disobedience, we are continually reassured that God doesn’t abandon his people. God demonstrates his power and holiness with one goal in mind: “Then you shall know that I am the LORD.” I’ve read only as far as chapter thirteen, and already I’ve counted fourteen occurrences of that momentous phrase.

Could it be that we, too, live in an era intended to grab our attention and turn our faces away from our trivial obsessions and toward the LORD?

This November, I’ll be carrying some Old Testament reassurance as I duck behind the red, white, and blue curtains to cast my vote:

  1. The LORD is here. He has not abandoned his people, and no matter whose name ends up on the stationary at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, God is still on his throne.
  2. The principal of Hanlon’s Razor is getting a lot of airtime lately, and with good reason: “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” Perhaps compassion for our political rivals is a more helpful stance than fear or outrage—neither of which is a fruit of the Spirit.
  3. Understand that God is the only Person in the voting booth with you. You answer only to him. Rather than hoping to appease your more liberal friends or your more conservative colleagues, think of your vote in this manner suggested by Joe Rigney: “View it as a stewardship of one’s civic power in selecting the representative leaders who, once elected, seek to enact a particular agenda.”
  4. Or maybe you’d rather follow the lead of an early church father in casting your vote? Writing from the context of 5th-century political turmoil, Augustine wrote The City of God to give believing Romans a biblical scaffold for their thinking about the government. He likened Christians to “pilgrims traveling through the earthly city on their way to a better country. As we prepare to cast our votes this year, Augustine would urge us to faithfully engage in politics—without putting our faith in it.” 1
  5. Let’s examine our motives. If my main reason for supporting a particular candidate is purely so that the other candidate won’t win, maybe I need to do more research, not necessarily to change my vote, but for the higher purpose of changing my heart.

Holding you in the light,

Augustine likened Christians to “pilgrims traveling through the earthly city on their way to a better country.” As we prepare to cast our votes, let’s faithfully engage in politics—without putting our faith in it.

  1. “Augustine in the Ballot Box,” World Magazine (July 2024), Collin Garbarino, p. 84. ↩︎

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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four married sons and a growing fleet of adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

25 thoughts on “Are You Ready to Vote in the Upcoming Election?”

  1. This very well-written. I like your reference to Ezekiel and the Lord’s reminder, “Then you shall know that I am Lord.” It’s a reminder I need daily in these confusing times. Voting gives me a lot to think about as we pray for the candidates but ultimately know that Jesus is our King.

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  2. This very well-written. I like your reference to Ezekiel and the Lord’s reminder, “Then you shall know that I am Lord.” It’s a reminder I need daily in these confusing times. Voting gives me a lot to think about as we pray for the candidates but ultimately know that Jesus is our King.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. And certainly when we look at the biblical record, God used leaders of all types to bring about his purposes. We have to trust his sovereignty as we faithfully do our part. Even in politics , we are cooperators with God.

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  3. I’m going back and forth between OT and NT in my current through-the-Bible trek. Ezekiel is my next OT book as soon as I finish Peter. I can’t say I approach that book with glee–but I do remember noticing that recurring phrase in previous readings. How it would change our outlook and activities to have that as our life’s theme.

    I like that thought of voting as a stewardship. I’ve known some who abandoned participation altogether, thinking to leave it all to God. But as He has allowed us to have a voice in our country, I think it’s wise to use it to the best of our ability. Most of the time, there is no 100% ideal choice. But I suppose that’s been the case through much of history. All we can do is pray for wisdom and then act as we feel God is leading.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Thank you for reminding us how important it is to vote with our hearts but not telling us who to vote for. Many people from many different religious beliefs will be voting this year and each of those people has the right to vote whatever it is that they feel, regardless of what anyone else feels. God loves us all.

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    1. I have offered these thoughts almost with fear and trembling and would certainly not arrogate to myself the responsibility for telling anyone else how to vote. I do think that the Bible is clear on our duty to faithfully engage in politics—without putting our faith in it. If this post helps anyone to move an inch in that direction, I will be grateful.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. We have a great privilege and responsibility to vote for our leaders from president down to local sheriffs and school boards, and as Christ-followers, our responsibility is also to seek God’s wisdom about how to cast those votes and engage in politics and in our communities. I like the insight from Ezekiel in this regard. I have long been interested in politics and follow it like a sport but I remind myself that others don’t follow it the same way. It’s important, but ultimately God is still in control. The best we can do is live out our earthly citizenship consistent with our eternal citizenship in heaven. Thanks for these wise and gentle words.

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    1. You’ve brought up an important point, Kym. We’re incredibly skilled at winding ourselves up over the name at the top of the ticket, but it’s the offices and roles closer to who may have the bigger influence over our daily lives. I’m aware that this is where I fail to do my homework and need to be more informed so that I vote with more intelligence.

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  9. “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Proverbs 18:15 ESV). We do well to educate ourselves on the candidates and their records, from sources that have proven to be reliable. NOT easy to accomplish these days! For those who may be uncertain, I’d say, “talk to the wisest, faith-filled people you know, find out who they’re voting for and why, and ask what sources they trust.” Most important of all, PRAY for God’s wisdom. He WILL provide (James 1:5).

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  10. As I ready myself for tonight’s debate, your words of wisdom are perfectly timed, Michele. I take great comfort in knowing that God has already written the rest of the story and nothing will escape His notice or take Him by surprise.

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  12. Such a timely and wise post, Michele. May we truly seek the Lord to guide us as we determine our vote. I have been reminding myself regularly of how God used both godly and ungodly leaders in the lives of His people. We cast our vote and trust Him with the results knowing His purposes will prevail. I like what Kym shared in her comment above: “The best we can do is live out our earthly citizenship consistent with our eternal citizenship in heaven.”

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    1. Exactly! And I think we do that by maintaining perspective. There have been hotly contested races in the past, but I doubt if they ever ruined Thanksgiving dinners like the last couple of elections have done…

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  13. Thanks so much for this, Michele. I understand the “fear and trembling” you experienced as you offered these thoughts. It’s not easy to share truth (or strong truth-infused opinions) in writing without coming across like your lips are pursed, but I think you’ve pulled it off. Your five points at the end are both challenging and comforting.

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