Of God and Politics

I'm amazed at how wrapped up in politics I can become. Just tonight I watched six consecutive hours of primary coverage on TV. I hung on every word, statistic, and prognostication the anchors and commentators said. It was pathetic. I guess since football season has ended, politics has become my new sport. Instead of hanging on every pass, rush or kick, I now hang on their political equivalents. Maybe its time for a spiritual check. What does God say about politics and the Christian life? Three of the most famous Bible passages are Matthew 22:17-21, which deals with paying taxes, Romans 13:1-7, which deals with the authority of rulers, and 1 Timothy 2:1-2, which deals with the Christian responsibility to pray for rulers. Between the three, we see that God does indeed care about elections and civic laws but maybe not in the way we think He does. It's hard to convince many Christians otherwise, but God is not a registered Republican. Nor did He support George Bush in the 1992 election against Bill Clinton, an election Bush lost. God elected Clinton, just as He elected George W. Bush in 2000. Truth is, every choice of governor, president, or congressman is the Lord's sovereign choice, regardless of political affiliation. Romans 13 is clear on this. It's all right to pull for one candidate over another, but always keep in mind that God is really in control. And His candidate always wins. What our God asks of us is to obey the authority He places over us and pray for him (or her). We should pay the government what we owe it, for it is God's delegated civil authority over us, so long as our obedience to God is not compromised. Above all, we should seek peace and tranquility with our government and with our neighbors. Keeping an eternal mindset during this election season is vital to making it through unscarred and without anger or bitterness. Note to self.