Opinion: Christians Must Vote in the Presidential Election

To vote or not to vote? That is the question facing many American Christians today.

Naturally, Christians want politicians who are going to value what God values: human life, caring for the oppressed and the freedom to worship among others. We want politicians who will reflect God’s kingdom here on earth through the policies they approve and the decisions they make. 

Many Christians shy away from voting, however, because they think that the candidates available are too sinful. According to the Pew Research Center, 42 percent of Christians did not vote in 2012 presidential election. 

Furtermore, many Christians I know refrain from voting because they fear they can not vote for the candidates of the main two parties in good conciense.

But Christians must vote.

Let me put your mind at ease. Any candidate you vote for is a wretched sinner capable of doing wicked things and more than capable of letting you down. Divorce yourself from the idea that there is a perfect, holy or complete candidate to choose, because there is not one. Romans 3:23 makes it abundantly clear that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” All have fallen — including our politicians.

Even that is not an excuse to stay silent in this election. After all, our hope is not that a politician is going to right every wrong or be perfect on every issue, but God still uses imperfect leaders to accomplish his will, as his Word shows us many times.

King David was an adulterer and a murder, but God still used him take Israel from a fledgling nation to a shining beacon for the world. Gideon was paralyzed by fear and worshiped idols, but God still gave him the courage he needed to defeat 10,000 Midianites with 300 untrained soldiers. Moses killed an Egyptian and often tried accomplishing things his own way, but God overcame his weaknesses and freed Israel from slavery in Egypt.

In the same way, God can use any man elected in the 2020 presidential election to accomplish his purposes. They might be accomplished in confusing ways to us, but they will be accomplished nonetheless.

Furthermore, the right to vote freely in an election is a rare gift. In America, you have the chance to elect the leader that you want without the fear that your government will arrest you or rip you away from your family if you do not choose the leader they want you to vote for. Countless soldiers have spilled their blood on foreign and domestic soil because they believed that a country that gave their citizens that freedom (and countless other freedoms) was worth dying for.

In a country currently engulfed by riots, division and a culture that defies God with every move, the next president we elect will set the vision of success for America for the foreseeable future. We have the incredible opportunity to change how our country is run. We have nothing to lose and Christ’s kingdom to gain.

Christians, I implore you: first, register to vote, and second, get to the polls on election day. Use your voice and trust God to do the rest.

John Simmons is the Web Manager. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnSimmonsJr7.