A Citizen of a Different Kingdom

2Timothy 2:4  No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer .    

    

            I have to admit that I was elated to see the election come to an end.  I have never been so embarrassed and broken-hearted by the behavior of Spirit-filled Christians from both sides of the fence.  There was petty squabbling and division; acrimoniousness and bitterness.  Some went as far to prophesy the death of America, or arugued that if I didn’t vote for their chosen candidate that I was unsaved, in error, or a heretic. The world was watching us and we utterly failed.

            As I prayed this morning for my own hurt feelings and shock over some of the mud-slinging, The Lord led me to 2 Timothy 2:4.  He reminded me that my citizenship changed on the day that I accepted Christ. My natural body is subject to the rule of the United States, but my spirit was accountable to another Commander-in-Chief: Jesus.

            The President’s job is to uphold the Constitution.  It is not to uphold the Christian agenda. “In God We Trust” only became our motto in 1956—not 1776.  Interestingly enough, that motto only appears on our money—not our Constitution. I digress.  The same laws that guarantees to me  the right to worship in the way that I choose, are the same laws that guarantee the Wiccan to have representation as a religion in the armed forces, or a gay man to teach in the public school system, or a Christian to lead the arguably the greatest nation in the world. As I sit looking at the wedding photo of my African-American sister and my Caucasian brother-in-law on my desk, I am reminded that fifty or sixty years ago it would have been against the law for them to marry in several states because of religion.

            I am a minister.  As such, I am not permitted the luxury pushing my personal opinion or agenda.  I must preach the gospel—in season and out. The God of the bible is never going to be okay with fornication, adultery, witchcraft, gay marriage, abortion or pornography or the legalization of marijuana to name some of the issues of today.  As a Christian, I believe the bible in its entirety; even the parts I don’t like. Trust me; I am not apologizing for my faith.  I believe there is one way to God, and that is through Jesus Christ.  However, if I demand that my President, senator, or other lawmaker uphold the Christian agenda, then I become the very thing I despise—a manipulator; a controller. That’s why I saw voter suppression, and other such abuses of power.  I realize now that I want a Christian President not because he will do as I say—but so that his heart might operate in wisdom (James 3:17), boldness (Proverbs 28:1) and mercy (Is 58:6-12).  I want him to be a Christian so that integrity will mean more than popularity or a controlling interest.  I want him to be a Christian so that he will uphold my right to pray in tongues; serve my church, preach the Jesus of the bible, and write this blog--even as he upholds the rights of people with whom I don't agree.

            The social ills of this world are only a manifestation of symptoms. The real issue is not abortion, pornography or anything else, for that matter. It’s the spiritual war being waged behind each of those issues.  The enemy of my soul desires for me to become entangled in political opinion and debates so that I will be distracted from my real Kingdom assignment:  making disciples, and waging spiritual war against that which is waging war against me. It’s time for me to stop blaming politicians for not curing the social ills, and to start doing the real work.  I must intentionally pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven, then I must leave the comfort of my four-walled church and do the work of the Kingdom. I must change the world one disciple at a time. That also means I must address the issues in me and in the Body of Christ instead of trying to legislate the morality of a country.  It’s hard to represent the Kingdom of Heaven if I don’t look, act, or think like its King.  This way is not as efficient as trying to control the government; but it is more effective, and it’s eternal.

            That bible that I say that I believe says that 1). That God turns the heart of the king any direction that he wants it to go (Proverbs 21:1); it says that leaders-Godly or not are raised up by God (Romans 13); and it says that I should pray for my leaders whether I like them personally or not (1 Tim 2:1-2). It also says that I must remove the log from my own eye (Matt 7:5); pray for those who spitefully use me (Luke 7:26-36); and be a light in darkness (Ephesians 5: 7-14); not so I can control the hearts of others, but so that I might shine the way towards He that saves, refines, and restores. I must stop doing church stuff, and start BEING the church for whom He’s coming back.