Are you part of the 49% of Christians who don’t plan to vote?
October 30th, 2024.
CBMC Team,
I recently read from a Barna study stating that 49% of Christians in America don’t plan to vote in the upcoming election.
This number startled me, and it got me thinking.
As president of CBMC USA, I get the privilege of traveling around the world and seeing how people from other countries live and listening to how they view the USA.
You may find this hard to believe based on media reports, but one thing I hear time and time again is how they admire the United States and wish they had the same political and spiritual freedoms that we have in our country.
Last I checked, God is still sovereign, and He will still be on His throne on November 6th regardless of who wins. There are many verses that support this, but I like the clarity of Col 1:16 “For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him.”
So, the question that I have been wrestling with is what are we to do regarding this election? If God is in control, then I guess I don’t have to do anything – right? But then why does He give us free will? Del Tackett, creator of the Truth Project, describes God’s great meta-narrative as this: Creation, Fall, Redemption, Engagement and Restoration. As you may have already figured out, we are somewhere between the redemption of the world (Jesus on the cross) and the restoration of the world (Jesus comes back to reign). We are in that time and place in which God is using us in His plan for the restoration of the world. He uses us to share our faith with those who don’t know Him. He commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves and to go and make disciples.
But what does He say about voting for a candidate that doesn’t line up with all my views and whom I don’t even like all that well? Unfortunately, He doesn’t!
Let’s be honest, both presidential candidates are broken people like the rest of us. I am sure that you have local and state officials that are also broken people hoping to get elected to govern our broken, imperfect world.
It has become increasingly difficult to discern the truth. Our trust in the media has never been lower. Here is an interesting little factoid: 50 years ago, there were approximately 50 companies controlling the media and the messages we heard. Today, that number is 6.
As I mentioned at our recent National Men’s Conference in St. Louis— Biblical Worldview Matters! People’s worldview determines how they will lead, and how voters will vote on very important issues.
Romans 13:1 says we are to submit ourselves to the governing authorities because God establishes these authorities.
But what if we don’t like them as people?
I think we all will be held accountable for our actions and if you just can’t vote for someone, I think that is your right.
However, I think there is a bigger issue with the 49% not voting in this election. I think they aren’t separating these broken people from the policies that they and their party stand for.
These are complex issues. In the past, we often relied on the media to do some of the thinking for us. We can no longer do that, today we must think on our own.
A friend of mine suggested that we start a third-party movement called MATA – “Make America Think Again”.
As Christians, we must recognize issues and candidates that conflict with God’s design. We must understand their positions and compare them to the ultimate authority of God’s Word when thinking about the sanctity of human life, parental rights, freedom of religion and speech, and protecting children.
I am not telling you who to vote for. What I am praying for, however, is that we would all lean in and engage. God can use us in this season as we exercise our right and privilege to vote. Let’s prayerfully approach the ballot box and trust God with the results, knowing He is always on His throne (Isaiah 6:1).
Lean in and join the 51% and vote!
David Meyers
CBMC President