Election Results

By Marjorie Foerster Eddington

Question

How do you deal with election results?

Answer

This may sound odd, but I think the best way to handle election results of any kind (school leaders, government leaders, ballot initiatives, etc.) is to be grateful. People are concerned that the right person be elected, which is certainly a valid concern.

But there are many people in this world who don't get to vote. There are many countries whose leadership only changes if there are coups. Those of us who live in countries that have democratic-like governments can be thankful that at least we have the opportunity to express how we feel, to cast our vote. We can be thankful that our leaders peacefully step down after their terms are over or if they are not re-elected.

Gratitude:

• helps cancel any fear we might have about the outcome;
• lifts us out of worry and concern;
• helps us see possibilities, other ways to work together;
• can even motivate us to search for new ideas.

Ultimately, we need to trust God. If we let an election result determine our happiness, we're not trusting God to govern us. We're giving power to a person, a party, or an ideology. We're giving power to someone or something other than God.

God is pretty clear about whom we should worship: "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me" (Is 45:5). We have to be careful not to make a god out of a person, office, or law. We may disagree with certain policies and politics, and we may take up a fight to overturn laws that we think are harmful or unjust. But we don't have to get so caught up in all the politics that we forget to honor who is in charge – God.

One of the best ways to honor God is to pray – to keep our thinking aligned with God's thoughts, to think rightly about a situation or person. We read in the New Testament:

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. (1 Tim 2:1, 2 NLT)

So, if we're ever concerned about an election of any kind, we can pray and be grateful that God governs all of us (including those in leadership positions) with ever so much love. God is powerful enough and loves us enough to figure out a way to make us feel loved. Not even the ups and downs of human politics and economies can keep God's blessings from reaching all of us.