Showing posts with label Christian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

There is a Savior. [Insert Elected Official Name Here] Ain't It!


Here I am again, entering the political foray. It's not my traditional arena for sharing, but given how crazy things have gotten, I feel I must once again enter the arena. I wrote back in 2016 about why I voted third party, and while I have not yet firmly made my voting decisions for this year, I can tell you that I am still very disappointed in both party's candidates. I will also tell you that I am 100% percent convinced that neither candidate will save America.

Others have written more eloquently about why neither of the original candidates for president this year stood for Christian ideals. (See O. Alan Noble, 2024; I would agree it is still the case) I am not here to tell people who to vote for based on that statement. Rather, I am going to agree with Professor O. Alan Noble that voters need to hold their candidates accountable for bad, wrong, and sinful policies. I also think that Christian voters need to hold themselves accountable.

As Christians, we say that we believe in a sovereign King, yet we, like the Israelites, demand a man or woman to lead us. We are very blessed with the governmental and religious freedom we have in America, but our government is imperfect, stained by the sin from which all mankind suffers, and from which all mankind needs a Savior.

There is a Savior, and He lives in heaven, not on earth. When we tout a candidate like he or she is the be-all, end-all, I argue that we border on, or even indulge in idolatry. We need to hold ourselves accountable for that. We act like our politicians are going to save America, save us. Sorry. That's been done, by Jesus. Hard stop. One day, every knee will bow, and it will be to Jesus, not to a sovereign (1 Tim 2:1-4; Phil 2:10). The only time all things will be right is when He comes back to rule and to reign. 

Pray for our leaders (1 Tim 2:1-4). Scriptures command us to do so. Vote for whom you want, whether a party candidate, or a write-in. When you do, however, hold yourself accountable to keeping that sovereign in his or her proper place. Only Jesus reigns supreme. Nothing will shake Him, not an elected official, or an election. There is a Savior, and [insert elected official name here] ain't it!

Reference:

O. Alan Noble. (2024, July 5). So you've decided to vote for an unfit candidate. You are not your own. https://newsletter.oalannoble.com/p/so-youve-decided-to-vote-for-an-unfit

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Self-Love and the Christian Faith

Some time ago, I wrote about self-care and selfishness. Since then, I've see a lot of Instagram posts and blog articles about self-love. there have been other articles about how people don't need to love themselves, but rather accept themselves and where they're at. In all this, I've started to wonder how self-love intersects with my Christian faith. I don't want to idolize myself, but I don't want to fail to care for the body God has given me either. I don't want to be a self-centered glutton, or an ascetic. What is the balance?



In a sermon on 1 John 4:7-8 this weekend, the pastor reminded us that love originates from God. Boom! All of this self-love stuff started to find its place in my heart. Love for self that comes from God and an appreciation of how fearfully and wonderfully He made me (Ps 139:14) is profitable. Love for self that comes from a desire to serve myself and ignore the needs of others is self-centered (Phil 2:3-4). Love for self that includes honoring rest and the needs of the body God gave me is beneficial because it places myself and God in the correct positions (Ps 46:10). Love for self that is for my own gain is sinful and unedifying to those around me (Ps 119:36). Failing to love either myself or others is failing to acknowledge the source of love in God.

Scripture does it again and sets my wrong heart aright. Now may the Holy Spirit help me practice love for self and others in the right fashion.