Pragmatism in a Post-Christian Age

1st Timothy 2 reminds us of our responsibility to pray for those in authority:

1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.   The election is over - rejoice!   And, in light of all the prayer and fasting that has been taking place over the past few weeks, especially that last 40 days, we have to ask ourselves: where do we go from here?   God calls us to be faithful, and no matter who is in the White House or the Congress, we can be confident that God is still on the throne.   We recognize the culture in which we live is changing, and He is calling us to be faithful to live the gospel and share the gospel - and while the message, the truth of God's Word, is strong, we have to be sensitive the the leadership of the Holy Spirit regarding our methods of sharing it.   We have fewer people that declare a religious affiliation and seemingly more people that hold to a different worldview or moral code than we do.   So, we keep praying, become more passionate about our walk with Christ, and continue to allow His light to shine through us, recognizing our hope is in the Lord.
Proverbs 21 reminds us of the sovereignty of God, especially as it concerns political leaders
1 The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. 2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts.

While not all the votes are in, we can still know that Barack Obama has been elected President of the United States for a second term.   And, on this day after the election, I really thought the implications of the results relative to Christians and specifically to myself as a Christian

1 - Essentially, the American people voted for the status quo.   And, there was a hard-fought battle with plenty of spending and effort to essentially keep things the same.  The President remains in office, Republicans retain control of the House, and all in all, the Senate looks the same way.  This result comes even in light of polling data that shows that 6-in-10 Americans believe the country is on the wrong track.

2 - Economically, we are on an unsustainable path.  Congress and the President must come together within the next 2 months to avert the fiscal cliff that we face, with the expiration of the Bush tax cuts and the deal that Congress made to enact cuts, which will deeply affect the military and other areas.    And, with the growth in entitlement spending and the proliferation of an entitlement culture, there is a tremendous need for wisdom to address these issues.

3 - There is little silver lining today on Americans' views on the so-called social issues.   For the first time, a state has apparently rejected an amendment defining marriage as one man and one woman.  Three other states passed gay marriage ballot initiatives.   Even though homosexuals comprise 4% of the population, they and their supporters have gained a tremendous amount of influence in our culture.   It is certainly a reflection of a significant element of our society that does not embrace the Biblical definition of marriage, and it is seen in a variety of other areas, as well.

4 - We have a tremendous clash of worldviews in our culture.   While many Christians affirm our belief in such principles as life, marriage, and religious freedom, we have to recognize that there is a growing population that does not affirm these basic principles that are based on Scripture.   And, we have to define our approach and strategize in order to reach people who do not hold to the same beliefs as we do.   Ultimately, our solutions do not come by who is in the White House, but how we function as God's house.   Winning hearts and minds with God's truth, and winning souls to Jesus ultimately is our Lord's Great Commission and should be our aim and consuming passion.

5 - Passion can be misplaced.   I have to think, if the time that I spend digesting political analysis through a variety of sources were to be channeled into strengthening my spiritual walk, I would have a deeper relationship with Christ and He would use me more powerfully.   We have to really evaluate our passions - if we were stronger in the Lord and more grounded in Him, we would unleash an exponentially more powerful force on this earth than politics.

6 - We need to pray for our President.  I am thrilled that there were so many prayer efforts leading up to the election.  Now that the results are known, I don't think we should let up in our fervency for prayer.   There are positions that Mr. Obama holds that are contradictory to those of many evangelical Christians, but that doesn't mean that God cannot or will not use him in His divine plan for America.  

7 - There is so much for which to give God praise - so rejoice today.  He loves you, and has brought you into a relationship with Himself through Christ.   We can hope in Him.   Praise Him for your family and the people around you.   Give Him glory for His protection and His provision.   Blessing the Lord for His blessings can help to change our perspective amidst discouragement.

8 - God is still on the throne.  Ultimately, He is the One who is in control.   There is abundant Scriptural evidence that He places kings in power and deposes them.   The Bible says the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord - and even when kings, or presidents do not govern the way we think they should or the way that God has prescribed, that doesn't mean that somehow God's ultimate purposes are thwarted.  Ultimately, all people, including those in governmental authority, will stand before the King of Kings, the ultimate Judge, who rules and reigns.