Go Beyond

Today is Election Day — the day when we have the privilege and the opportunity to cast our vote to select those who will govern us. The right to vote is no small matter. I have made it a point to vote in every Presidential election since the day I became eligible to vote. Although I don’t always care for the way presidential candidates tout themselves or trash their opponents, a candidate’s record is ultimately at the heart of these matters. It’s up to those of us who vote to do our homework by looking at the record because a record weighs more than rhetoric. We must intentionally investigate and carefully sift through the spin in order to determine which candidate’s record best aligns with our respective worldview. We must do this because the decisions made by those in positions of responsibility can reverberate for generations and either do great good or devastating harm. That is why, as a Christ-follower, I want to make my vote count.

Long after any candidate leaves office their record remains — forever a part of history. I especially like the way in which the Old Testament summarizes the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah. The record always begins with a summary of their administration before offering selected details about their deeds. The Scripture records that they either “did evil in the sight of the Lord” or they “did right in the sight of the Lord.” Either way, everything a leader does is “in the sight of the Lord.” Nobody does anything behind His back! And ultimately, all leaders will have to give an account of their deeds before the Lord. That is a sobering thought.

As for us regular folks who are not running for office, the same holds true for us. Everything we do becomes a part of our own record and either adds to or diminishes our credibility. Every decision we make either draws us closer to or farther away from God. And, in the case of an election, our single vote combined with the votes of others helps to shape our national welfare and destiny. I know who I want to win the presidential election but I do not know who will win. Perhaps by the end of the day that question will be answered, hopefully in a decisive way. However, at the end of the day, I cannot put all of my hopes in the man who wins the office. I must instead continue to hope in the Lord, to live as a responsible citizen, and to make certain that my own record is unmistakably clear.