Post by Cindy on Mar 16, 2016 9:25:15 GMT -5
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. It's true that we're not electing a pastor, but we do want someone who will lead this great country of ours in a good, godly fashion. Obviously, the best choice would be someone who was truly saved. But if that's not to be found for sure, God's Word does give us the characteristics to look for. One that keeps going through my mind is from 1 Timothy 3:4–5: “He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)” Just before those verses we're also told that he should be the husband of one wife... in other words, not a polygamist, and not someone who has made a habit of divorce. (1 Timothy 3:2) These verses alone give us a very good picture of the kind of man who may make a good president. When I look back on past presidents, I can see how often these scriptures showed us in advance who would or wouldn't do the job very well. We aren't left with just these things however. There's more we should consider as well: “Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.” (1 Timothy 3:2–3) The few past presidents who may have passed muster on managing their own family and having one wife, but failed as presidents, looking back we can see that they also failed the test of some of these characteristics. We're also given advice about the wife of the candidate: “In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.” (1 Timothy 3:11)
What do we do though if none of the candidates have all of these traits? I suppose the best thing to do, would be to look for the one who has the most traits. Obviously, no matter what, we need to pray for God's guidance. At the same time, if we do pray for guidance, we can't then ignore the guidance God gives us in His Word.
Paul gives us more guidance in Titus: “An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.” (Titus 1:6–8)
One thing I've noticed over and over in these scriptures is that they should not be quick to anger, but should instead be self controlled. That makes a lot of sense especially for a president don't you think? The bible also teaches us that we will know people by the fruit of their lives. We're given any number of lists of what kind of fruit the sin nature produces as well as lists of what the spirit produces in us for good. So it should be fairly easy to look at any candidate and see which way they're leaning toward. Let me share some of those lists for us to look at here. We need to keep in mind that we're not just looking to see if the candidate does any of these things, but also if he turns a blind eye to others doing them, or accepts any of them as being "right".
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9–10)
“People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” (2 Timothy 3:2–5)
“But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices” (Colossians 3:8–9)
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19–21)
God tells us that people who live like this won't inherit the kingdom of God, but He also lets us know that these traits are those of a person who is leading others in the wrong direction. This also includes the people he generally surrounds himself with now as a candidate, and in his personal life. Proverbs also has much to offer us as to what to look for: “Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.” (Proverbs 16:32) Is he self disciplined and self controlled? “The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.” (Proverbs 15:28) Does he tend to speak first and think later, or is he careful about what he says? “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22) Does he think he knows what's best and right, or does he listen closely to what others have to say and go by their counsel? Does he run on his feelings or try to sway others by their feelings (Jeremiah 17:9; Proverbs 15:28) or does he allow the truth to speak for itself?
One of the things I've noticed during this election is that people tend to follow the crowd, and that's the very worst thing any Christian can do. We have to remember that what the world says, what the world recommends and what it likes, is the opposite of what God wants. So when much of the world thinks a man is great, that should be a red flag to us, for we've been told that the world hates the light; it hates God and hates good, and therefore wouldn't follow someone who was for those things. The bible has a lot more to say about what to look for in a leader, but this should at least give us a good idea and a place to start.
What do we do though if none of the candidates have all of these traits? I suppose the best thing to do, would be to look for the one who has the most traits. Obviously, no matter what, we need to pray for God's guidance. At the same time, if we do pray for guidance, we can't then ignore the guidance God gives us in His Word.
Paul gives us more guidance in Titus: “An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.” (Titus 1:6–8)
One thing I've noticed over and over in these scriptures is that they should not be quick to anger, but should instead be self controlled. That makes a lot of sense especially for a president don't you think? The bible also teaches us that we will know people by the fruit of their lives. We're given any number of lists of what kind of fruit the sin nature produces as well as lists of what the spirit produces in us for good. So it should be fairly easy to look at any candidate and see which way they're leaning toward. Let me share some of those lists for us to look at here. We need to keep in mind that we're not just looking to see if the candidate does any of these things, but also if he turns a blind eye to others doing them, or accepts any of them as being "right".
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9–10)
“People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” (2 Timothy 3:2–5)
“But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices” (Colossians 3:8–9)
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19–21)
God tells us that people who live like this won't inherit the kingdom of God, but He also lets us know that these traits are those of a person who is leading others in the wrong direction. This also includes the people he generally surrounds himself with now as a candidate, and in his personal life. Proverbs also has much to offer us as to what to look for: “Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.” (Proverbs 16:32) Is he self disciplined and self controlled? “The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.” (Proverbs 15:28) Does he tend to speak first and think later, or is he careful about what he says? “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22) Does he think he knows what's best and right, or does he listen closely to what others have to say and go by their counsel? Does he run on his feelings or try to sway others by their feelings (Jeremiah 17:9; Proverbs 15:28) or does he allow the truth to speak for itself?
One of the things I've noticed during this election is that people tend to follow the crowd, and that's the very worst thing any Christian can do. We have to remember that what the world says, what the world recommends and what it likes, is the opposite of what God wants. So when much of the world thinks a man is great, that should be a red flag to us, for we've been told that the world hates the light; it hates God and hates good, and therefore wouldn't follow someone who was for those things. The bible has a lot more to say about what to look for in a leader, but this should at least give us a good idea and a place to start.