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 virtue number seven: love.¹ 

A solo leader is a dangerous leader. A person who must be “in charge” is often filled with insecure pride. Two are always better than one. There is a mutual love that unites and never divides. That’s what Solomon tells us. 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

One writer said, “If love is the greatest of biblical virtues, it is … the home for all the virtues.” We demonstrate moral courage in order to protect the people and things we love. Love causes us to fight for justice. We desire to demonstrate prudence and temperance for those we care about. Dan Taylor and Mark McCloskey wrote, 

It is very difficult to assess the quality of love in political candidates. Perhaps one manifestation of it is passion. Passion comes from the Greek word for pain or suffering. To say we love something or are passionate about something is a declaration that we are willing to suffer for it. What are candidates passionate about? That is, what are they willing to suffer for? What have they spent their lives doing apart from jobs and political office? What loves or passions made them pursue a political office?²

Love demonstrates the passion for getting the right job done. To make sacrifices for others and lay down the natural pride in one’s heart. Perfect love, of course, is only found in the person of Jesus. He demonstrated his unconditional love by dying for us on the cross when we still had our backs turned away from him (Rom. 5:8). Love doesn’t start with us; it always begins with Jesus (1 John 4:10). 

Learning how to vote for the right candidate is important. But eternally more important is your relationship with Jesus. If you don’t know him, please consider praying this prayer with me. 

Father, I want to experience your perfect love and acceptance through Jesus. I want to be rescued by the Savior who died for me on the cross. I want to turn from a fruitless life to a life empowered by you. I trust, right now, in Jesus, as the only way to have a relationship with the living God. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

¹ These seven virtues are taken from my book, Picking a President: Seven Characteristics to Evaluate, (Back to the Bible, 2016).

² Daniel Taylor and Mark McCloskey, “How to Pick a President: Why Virtue Trumps Policy,” Christianity Today (Vol. 52, No. 6), June 2008, www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/june/17.22.html.