The midterm elections are three weeks away. Politicians are campaigning across the country. Polls are being watched, approval ratings are being analyzed, and everyone is wondering what will happen on Election Day.
But I want to remind you of something.
There will come a day when none of it will matter.
There will come a day when approval ratings won’t matter. Poll numbers won’t matter. Popularity won’t matter. The number of elections you won, the number of followers you have on social media, and the number of people who applaud your words will mean absolutely nothing.
One day, we will stand before Jesus, and the questions that matter most will have nothing to do with politics.
Did you love your neighbors, even the ones who disagreed with you? Did you love your perceived enemies? Did you stand up against injustice, even when it was uncomfortable? Did you serve those who could offer you nothing in return? Did you show grace when others showed hatred? Did you forgive when you had every reason to hold a grudge? Did you truly love others?
Those are the questions we should be asking ourselves today.
Jesus didn’t tell us to love only those who vote like us, think like us, believe everything we believe, or belong to our political party. He commanded us to love our neighbors and even our enemies.
In Matthew 25, Jesus reminds us that how we treat the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the sick, and those in need matters deeply to Him.
Yet somewhere along the way, too many people have become more concerned about winning arguments than loving people, defending political leaders than defending the vulnerable, and protecting their political identity than living out their identity in Christ.
CHURCH, WE NEED TO WAKE UP!
Your political party cannot save you. Your popularity cannot define you. Your accomplishments cannot replace a life surrendered to Jesus.
You can win an election and still lose sight of what matters most. You can have thousands of followers and still fail to show compassion to the person standing right in front of you. You can know all the right Scriptures and still fail to practice the love those Scriptures teach.
So, as we approach another Election Day, by all means, be engaged. Be informed. Stand for what you believe is right. Exercise your right to vote.
But don’t allow politics to become more important than people, and never allow your political allegiance to become more important than your allegiance to Jesus.
Because one day, the campaigns will end. The signs will come down. The polls will be forgotten. The political arguments will fade into history.
And what will remain is the life you lived and the love you showed.
When that day comes, will the way you treated people reflect the Jesus you profess to follow?
That is a question worth answering today, not someday.
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” — John 13:35
LET THAT SINK IN. THE WORLD DOESN’T NEED MORE PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO WIN POLITICAL ARGUMENTS. IT NEEDS MORE PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO LOVE LIKE JESUS. ~OC
Dear God, examine our hearts. Help us love beyond our differences, stand against injustice, extend grace, practice forgiveness, and serve those who need us most. May our lives reflect Your love in a world that desperately needs it. When people look at us, may they see less of our pride and more of Your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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