First, let me say that this is not a political article. But, as the inauguration of the next President will take place this week, politics will be in our faces. I do believe that Christ followers should do our part as citizens and vote, after prayerfully considering the candidate who will receive our vote. But I want to caution all of us to remember that our President, or any president, is not our Lord. We ought to pray for our President, whether we voted for the one in office or not, and we ought to pray for other elected officials, even on the local level, but none of them are to ones to whom we pray.
Politics can become very divisive, and we who are Christians are not about division; certainly in the church. Jesus is Lord, whether you are democrat, republican or independent. It truly saddens me when brothers and sisters in Christ allow politics to be a detriment to their serving Jesus through the local church.
In the Old Testament, the people wanted a king. God had made it clear that He was their King, but they wanted to be like everybody else. So He gave them their king, and the majority of Israel's and Judah's kings were not the solution, but the problem.
So your greatest political responsibility, as a Christ follower, is to pray for whomever is in political office. Whether you voted for him, or her, or not, God loves that person, and Romans 13 is clear, we are to honor and pray for those people. They do carry a heavy burden. I have a friend who once worked in the White House. He happened to be in a meeting, where the President was present, and he called me and said, "Pastor Stan, we must pray for the President (any president). He carries such an incredible load; I don't know how he does it."
So please pray. Whomever the President is at the moment, because as Christians, how can we do less?
I love each of you so very much. We are on a great adventure with Jesus!
In Jesus,
Pastor Stan
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