The debate is tonight. Well, that's great. As millions of people tune in to see what the two candidates have to say, and which questions they will dodge, I wonder why our focus shifted. I say this not from some lofty peak of holiness, reigning down wisdom upon the masses. I say this as I caught myself drawn to watch the debate myself tonight. Ten minutes in, I realized that this is a colossal waste of time. Two people stand in opposition, not only to each other, but in all honesty, they stand in opposition to what values we hold dear. If our children acted like this, there would be consequences, repercussions they would not forget. I had to turn it off.
The election this year is a hot topic. I get it. The buildup has been astonishing and the impact of this election can have a great impact on the future of our nation. I believe we all should vote. However, watching the flood of posts on social media about the election, I believe we have lost focus. Satan has used this circus to distract Christians and Satan is winning. How can I say such things? Let's take a moment to look at Scripture.
Paul wrote to the Colossians, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:1-2 NKJV) What does that tell us? Those who are followers of Christ are to focus on the eternal, with the eternal guiding the temporary. Regardless of who the next President of the United States may be, our job as Christians will not change...at all. We will still be called to be the hands and the feet of Jesus Christ, proclaiming the coming of Christ, and reaching out to the lost souls who need salvation. We are to be focused on Jesus, consumed with Jesus, and pointing people to Jesus with every word we speak.
Yet, we are focused on politicians. We are listening intently to lies that are spun and neglecting to listen to the voice of truth, the voice of God who is calling out to us in the midst of this noisy season of nonsense. If we are truly raised with Christ, we understand that Presidents will come and go, but Christ remains! What Christ has done for each of us far exceeds anything that a politician can do for us. We can spend all day trying to defend these politicians but to what end? Neither of these candidates can save a soul.
It is beyond time for the church to refocus its attention in America. Throughout the world, we have Christians being tortured for what they believe. In the states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, we have people in despair after the hurricane unleashed its force on the coast. There are people trafficking other humans. There are children being beaten, abused, and going hungry. There are addicts looking for something to break the shackles of addiction. There are innumerable problems on this earth and the solution will not be spoken in the course of a debate. The solution is the cross and it is time for Christians to point people in the right direction. We are not to point to a Presidential candidate, we are to lead them to the King of kings. With such a focus, lives will be changed for eternity, which is a better focus for Christians than focusing on just the next four years.
