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As we prepare for mid-term elections in our country, I encourage everyone to vote. But who should you vote for? That is a prayerful decision between you and God. As you pray, there are seven qualities to look for in a leader. Here’s the fifth virtue: faith.¹
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Faith is the commitment to be part of a story larger than yourself. A president must demonstrate faith in the ideals of our country and our Constitution. But the virtue of faith on a believer’s voting checklist goes deeper than that. We need to know where each candidate stands with God. Does he or she fear God—love, honor, respect, and obey him? Certainly, not every person we vote for will be a Christian, but we need to know a candidate’s core values about life, marriage, and family.
In 1960, John F. Kennedy told a group of Protestant ministers that if he were elected president, his personal religious faith, Catholicism, would not interfere with his presidential duties. But how can your sincere religious values not impact your decisions?
William Wilberforce was elected to the British parliament in 1780 at the age of 21. Young and intelligent, Wilberforce loved to party. And now he was being welcomed into luxurious clubs and beautiful private houses. He was on everyone’s invitation list. In 1784, he was on his way to the French Riviera with his former tutor, Isaac Milner. Milner told Wilberforce about Jesus, and, in Wilberforce’s words, a “great change” began to occur. During the summer of the following year, Wilberforce embraced Christianity. His first impulse was to retire from politics, but John Newton, the former slave trader turned minister who wrote the song “Amazing Grace,” convinced him not to leave parliament.
Wilberforce believed God was calling him to two great goals—the abolition of the slave trade and the reformation of the low state of British morals. After years of tireless effort, parliament voted to end the slave trade in 1807. In 1833— three days before Wilberforce died—the House of Commons abolished slavery throughout the British Empire, giving freedom to 800,000 slaves.
Now compare Wilberforce to James Buchanan, who served as president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. Buchanan was personally opposed to slavery but did nothing about it. He was more concerned with the nation’s economy and building roads. But how can you truly be against something as tragic as slavery and not do something about it? Faith is based on believing in something and Someone greater than yourself. And while dealing with all the issues is important, there must be a greater calling—a moral calling—in your life.
Many issues need to be addressed in our country. We need leaders who will look at these through the lens of a Judeo-Christian faith. We need leaders who truly fear God.
Father, raise up leaders in our land who know you, love you, honor you, respect you, and obey you. Raise up leaders who lead from the foundation of their faith. And, Father, help each one of us live from the foundation of our faith. We thank you that Jesus has changed our lives. Help us demonstrate that we have been truly transformed. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
¹ These seven virtues are taken from my book, Picking a President: Seven Characteristics to Evaluate, (Back to the Bible, 2016).
Thank you, thank you! Passing this on to my Minnesota Prayer Partners.