Toni was born and raised in a small town in Oklahoma.She graduated from East Central University with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics.After college, she returned to her hometown to marry her best friend, Charles.Toni is a stay at home mom to their three teens, two boys and a girl, whom God led them to homeschool.Her goal is to raise her children to love and serve the Lord.They live on a farm where they grow produce to sell at several farmers markets.She also plays the piano at church and teaches piano.
Some of you may have already voted in the 2016 election through absentee ballots or early voting. If you have not voted yet, please consider what I am about to say.
So many people are very upset by the choices we have for the upcoming presidential election. We need not fear the election. We must remember that God knows the outcome and he knows what the future holds for our nation. He can use whomever is elected for His purpose if He so chooses. He is in control.
Over and over, God has told us to NOT be afraid.
Fear is not from God. We need to be praying for our nation and our leaders. It does not matter if we agree with them or not; God tells us to pray for our leaders–sincere prayers. Prayer will make the difference. I have committed to praying for the election and our nation every day. We may feel helpless, but God is there. People say that if you do not vote, you do not have a right to complain. Well, I say if you are not praying, then you should not complain.
Dear Lord, we come before You begging for the future of our once great nation. We know that You are in control and You know what the future holds. We ask that You intervene and do what is best for us. Change the heart of Your people and bring a revival to this land. Let us all see that we need You as our leader. We know that You will be there for us. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV)
Vote With Awareness and Knowledge
That brings me to my other issue. I have a problem with all these people who are encouraging people to “get out and vote.” Please do not vote just to be voting. Vote because you have studied the candidates and the issues. This election is very emotionally charged and our nation is very divided. In Oklahoma, where I live, we have several state questions on the ballot. The advertisements, both pro and con, tug at your emotions to sway your vote. Please research these issues and the candidates to see what the truth is behind them. It may take some digging but the information is out there. Do the same with the candidates who are running for office.
Do Your Research for Unbiased Information
You may wonder how to find unbiased information. Most states list the information for state questions or propositions on the state’s election board website. This is a good place to start. Remember that these state questions/propositions are summaries of the bill or amendment. Many times there is a link to the actual wording but sometimes you must actually search for it. Reading and interpreting the actual question or proposition can be daunting, but it is the best way to find the truth. If you have problems with this, it is best to get opinions from a multitude of people that you respect and most closely align in values and viewpoints.
The same should be done with candidates. Find out what their true beliefs are. This is easier in local elections where you can actually have a chance to meet the candidate or speak to them over the phone. I once spent an hour on the phone with a candidate when she called to introduce herself. I do not think she expected all the questions that I asked. More recently, I have done this through social media. If I have questions, I private message the candidate and wait for a reply. Most will get back to you within minutes. The internet makes researching topics and candidates so much easier, but it can also be filled with emotionally charged propaganda. We must be discerning to find the facts and not be swayed by emotions (or celebrities).
You do not have to vote on every issue.
If you are not sure, leave it blank. This allows those who have done the research to be the ones who actually make the decisions. I had someone tell me once that if you weren’t sure on an issue, vote no to keep it the same. That does not even make sense to me! If you do not know, leave it blank. Ideally though, it is best to research and make an educated decision when voting.
Do you pray for our nation and our leaders?
Please join me in committing to pray for our nation and our leaders.
Toni was born and raised in a small town in Oklahoma.She graduated from East Central University with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics.After college, she returned to her hometown to marry her best friend, Charles.Toni is a stay at home mom to their three teens, two boys and a girl, whom God led them to homeschool.Her goal is to raise her children to love and serve the Lord.They live on a farm where they grow produce to sell at several farmers markets.She also plays the piano at church and teaches piano.
I know there are a lot of people out there who will probably be offended by this post. But before you jump to conclusions, hear me out. I’m not endorsing a candidate. I’m not telling you who to vote for. I truly believe that we must make informed decisions.
Many believe that as Christians, we should not be involved in politics, but we do need to be. If we don’t, who will? Are the people in office the ones that we want making our laws, representing us?
Then, of course, there is that separation of Church and state thing. Guess what? There is NO such thing! I know. You say, “But, it’s in the Constitution (Bill of Rights).” WRONG! Find it for me. The first amendment of the Constitution states, “Congress shall make NO law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” (Emphasis added)
It says “…no law respecting the establishment of a religion…” This means that Congress cannot establish a State religion. This is why they left Europe. They had State-sponsored churches like the Church of England. Everyone was supposed to be a member of the state church and worship and believe in that manner. They wanted to ensure that our Government would not do this. “…or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” This clearly states that the Government will not interfere with our religion. They will not tell us how to believe or how to worship.
Now that we have the background, let’s continue.
First and foremost, we must vote for a Christian. This is someone who truly has a relationship with Christ and shows it in their actions. We want someone who believes as we do passing laws for us to live by. I’m not saying that non-Christians are to be excluded, but this nation was built on Biblical principles. Saying it wasn’t or things have changed only diminishes what our founding fathers went through.
We must vote the Bible! We cannot vote for SIN. This is whether it is on state questions or for candidates. Anything or anyone that supports sin should not get our support. I am not saying that we should hate sinners because we are all sinners, but we are to flee from sin. We should be voting for the sanctity of human life because God created all life and it is not man’s decision when to end that life. This applies not only to abortion, but to euthanasia also.
We should also vote for those who will be fiscally responsible. Jesus even tells us that we are to “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.” (Luke 20:25) But we are to entrust our money with those that will invest it wisely as with the nobleman in Luke 19:11-27. If they have been wasting our money or are not themselves fiscally responsible, then we should not vote for them.
I have other criteria that coincide with my stance on other issues that I look at along with the above. We must put God first in our voting decisions.
The most important thing we can do is pray. We need to pray about who God wants us to vote for. We should pray for a discerning spirit. If we listen, God will tell us.
I have decided who I am not voting for; I have not decided who I am voting for. I also believe that if you cannot chose a candidate, you do not have to pick the “lesser of two evils.” Go to the ballot box and leave those races or questions blank. Leaving it blank is still voting. It is saying “I don’t agree with these choices.”
I believe this could be the most important election in our lifetime. We must be politically active. Please do not take it lightly. God knows all that we do. We must answer to him for those decisions. Are you willing to stand before God and tell Him that you voted for a candidate who did not follow Him?
Are there any factors that you use to determine how you will vote?
Have you chosen your candidates yet?
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