I’m sure some of my friends can attest to this, but there was a period in my life where I was highly immersed in the world, in a political sense. I prioritized my temporary placement over my real home, and I felt my truth was greater than God’s. I lived out my life as a citizen of the United States instead of a citizen of Heaven. The problem with that was, the second something didn’t go the way I wanted, I lost hope quickly. Faith is only as strong as what you put it in. I had two baskets, and I put the vast majority of my eggs into what I could see, and then I gave Christ the leftovers. I wasn’t standing on a rock, I was standing on America. And it felt like I was sinking.
I have a feeling I’m not alone in this. We get comfortable in the society we live in, and we get so comfortable we actually start to dictate how it can become better. We put justice in our own hands. We strive for better, faster, stronger. Better. Better. Better. We try to create a perfect utopia to live in, but we miss a key component- Jesus Christ.
We cannot create a perfect society, even though political parties are tirelessly arguing how we can accomplish that very task. Here is a simple truth I feel we all need to be reminded of:
We cannot put our faith in anything from this side of eternity. The battle over politics is one that will never resolve and will only lead to broken hearts because we our putting the fate of our country and the world in our own hands, instead of in the hands of the One who created it. Our identity should not be found in our party, our opinions, or the nation we momentarily live in, for we must not be apart of this world at all. Our identity should be found in our King, our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. And our citizenship should be in Heaven above all else, with our eyes on our sure and trusted Lord who is eternally in power.
I feel like some people are reading this and are saying things like, what about all the evil going on though? Shouldn’t we fight against that? I feel like such-and-such party is doing exactly the opposite of what we are called to, and they are obviously going against the grain of what Christ intended and wanted.
I understand this. However, I feel like it’s vital to understand that the more we immerse ourselves in true evil, the more we are susceptible to letting it into our hearts, whether we attempt good intentions or not. What we dwell on, whether it is in anger or agreeance, will seep in. It's also important to understand that it is not our neighbors that are evil, and neither are their opinions.
The issue with politics is it puts neighbor against neighbor, when our war is not against the flesh, as Paul pointed out. Therefore, when we make other people (or another party) our enemy, we are fighting a pointless battle because we aren’t fighting the right person.
We are fighting the Good Fight. Not a political fight. And the great news is we are already assured a victory in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are given freedom in our King. We are able to rely on His truth instead of our opinions. We are able to communicate efficiently and not through a filter of hatred for our neighbor. We can speak words of life into them, words of love and patience. We throw out political debates and have conversations that change things. We no longer see our neighbor as pure evil, and in turn we have room to fight the fight we should really be fighting.
Don’t allow politics to consume you. Don’t allow any of the world to consume you. Both of these things can seep into your soul very quickly, and it can easily become your main goal and your primary fight. Guard. Your heart. And never forget it!
Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:21-24
Through the Spirit we are given renewed thoughts, attitudes, and a new nature. Our hearts become more like Christ’s, we are humbled and our desires are His. There isn’t room for goals that He doesn’t share. Does this new law in America really matter in our Kingdom? Is our eternity dependent on our worldly economy? Is our Heavenly treasure lost when the stock market crashes?
Is my hope for justice wrongly placed in the world when I should instead be seeking the ultimate Judge?
We are given complete freedom in Christ.
Rest in His truth over your opinions and the world's wars.
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