IT IS VOTING SEASON IN AMERICA
It is not necessary for us to endorse candidates or parties, but it is essential for us to vote for people who represent our Biblical values!
I can remember in my not too distant past that one of the most important days of the year was “election day.” People were reminded to vote and to get there early because the lines might be long, and you wanted to make sure you were able to cast your ballot.
Well times have changed, and election day is no longer a day it is election season! With ballots by mail, absentee ballots, early voting, and regular voting there are all kinds of ways and days to cast your vote. It is not my purpose here to consider the motives and efficiency of this kind of voting but to emphasize that the importance of voting is still paramount. Your vote does count, and your stewardship of your citizenship truly demands you cast it.
God wants us to be faithful in our stewardship of all that He has blessed us with and those of us who have been so blessed to be citizens of the United States of America are to be faithful stewards of our vote. In two states that are dear to me, Virginia and North Carolina, the votes of Evangelical Christians can make a huge difference in how we are governed. In Virginia thirty percent of the population identify as Evangelical Christians, in North Carolina it is thirty-five percent. In both cases those numbers are representative of millions of voters who if they voted Biblical values could change the course of their states and thus our nation. It is not necessary for us to endorse candidates or parties, but it is essential for us to vote for people who represent our Biblical values!
Let me suggest several actions for all of us:
1. Get informed! Study the ballots in your district, learn the candidates for all the offices that you can cast a vote for or against. Judges, School Boards, Treasurers can make a huge difference on the local level. Know who you are voting for!
2. Vote early! In the last election cycle, there were many reports of people who showed up on election day to vote only to hear that they had already voted by some other method.
3. Volunteer! Be a poll watcher or a sworn election officer. You can do it and if you need help in knowing how to go about it contact me and I will get you in touch with people who can guide you through the process.
4. Be a servant to others. There are many in your church and community who may find it confusing to vote or difficult to get to the polls. Help them, pick them up and take them. It will not only be a great service to them it will provide encouraging fellowship for both you and them.
4. Encourage those who support Biblical values to run for office.
God allowed us to be citizens of what I consider to be the greatest nation on earth. It is our responsibility to be a faithful steward of the blessing!
