Pastors should refrain from preaching politics from the pulpit. Even in Christian circles, everyone has a different idea about politics they want heard and people are not always very nice about expressing their theory. Anger, anxiety, accusations and fighting amongst ourselves is not the way our Lord revealed to us. Preaching politics puts Christians in a box. A non-believer watching the news may hear something one Christian says and think it’s how all Christians, and possibly God, view the world when really it’s not true. It’s just one guy’s opinion. It puts us all in a box. Some Christians try to speak for us all, but I can speak very well for myself, thank you.

However, as Christians we should look to the Bible for support in forming good, holy, God honoring opinions. Christianity is not a political movement and we as Christians need to refrain from identifying our faith with one political party or policy. With Jesus, it never has been about politics and it never will be. The Bible doesn’t exactly tell us which political party is better or how to vote or what candidate to choose. But there is a way to look at politics with a Biblical perspective in the back of your mind.

Grace Chapel in Lexington, Mass. came up with five main important things to consider when trying to think Biblically about politics.  

1. Government and politics are ordained by God and worthy of our engagement.
2. Politics is ultimately about loving our neighbors.
3. No party or policy fully embodies the values and vision of Kingdom of God.
4. Reasonable Christian minds will differ and deserve to be respected.
5. Our citizenship is in heaven and our hope is in Christ.

The act of voting is a way to honor God. It’s exercising our freedom before God. When we go to vote we must do the best with our conscious and what God puts on our heart. God is still in control no matter who ends up in the White House, and there is great comfort in that. He gives us certain leaders for a reason and our job is simply to trust Him. We need to focus more on Christ than politics because when we focus our eyes on someone greater, we are one step closer to discovering what really matters and bringing home the Kingdom of God. We needn’t worry for God is holding even this messy election in the palm of His hand, and that’s how Christians are able to sleep at night when faced with the uncertainty of this nation’s future.

To learn more about Grace Chapel’s five points to consider when thinking Biblically about politics visit, http://www.grace.org/sermon/thinking-biblically-about-politics/