Are You Worried?
Warning, political comments…
I have had at least 4 people make comments to me or to someone that has conveyed the concern of being scared for what might happen in the next 4 years (I’m writing this at the end of February, 2025).
Some of those conversations are from family who have jobs dependent on Government funding. Others from people who are worried about the availability of products that might be impacted due to tariff enactments. Others, and these are the people that make me shake my head, honestly believe that in some kind of Stalinist power grab and rounding up people for concentration camps (I really hope I am exaggerating but from their verbiage, I’m not sure).
From a progressive vs conservative viewpoint, we have changed from a liberal viewpoint governing philosophy to a conservative governing philosophy. I described the change as a left ditch, right ditch shift and the person I was talking to wholeheartedly agreed with my assessment.
But what about looking at this from a Christian perspective? The first thing is that God is sovereign and our leaders are a part of his plan.
“O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was
made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will.”- Daniel 5:18-21 ESV
“God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted!” - Psalm 47:8-9
So God is not a passive sovereign God but has a plan for all the universe. But what about the worrying part?
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat? ’or ‘What shall we drink? ’or ‘What shall we wear? ’“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” - Matthew 6:25-31, 34
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” - Philippians 4:4-9
Whether or not you are happy with the outcome of the recent Presidential election, two things are clear. The first is that the result of the election was a part of God’s plan and we should take comfort in that. The second is that we need to rejoice in the Lord and not be anxious about the future. If you can do those things then, regardless of the outcomes of future elections, you will praise God.
