We find ourselves at a place in history that we could never have imagined. Our choice of a presidential candidate leaves a lot to be desired. There was a time when people aspired to become president and the character of the president mattered to everyone, or so it seemed. Nowadays society will tell you that the character of the president does not matter. They tell us that he is a man and a few “indiscretions” does not make him a bad person or a bad president. Isaiah 5:20-23 gives a different perspective – “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!”
Character does matter. No matter who you are from the homeless man on the street to the president of the United States, your character does matter. You can tell the character of a person in how they run their business, treat their employees or work at their job, how they treat their family, how they treat their possessions, and how they treat other people. I have responded on Facebook about how I have an issue with Mr. Trump as a business man. Filing bankruptcy, 3 times, has become apparently okay. It is okay to use someone else’s money and then not pay it back in full. Psalm 37:21 has a different perspective – “The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives.” Filing bankruptcy cannot and should not be the reason to not vote for a person. I could vote for someone who filed bankruptcy, but it is an indicator of a person’s character when they borrow and don’t pay back. When we decide who to vote for, we must look at the whole person and decide if they have the character that the office of president deserves. How do they treat other people when the press is not looking? What do their employees say about them? What do their families say about them? Trump, Clinton, and Sanders all have huge character flaws, as we all do. The question is would any of them make a good president? That depends on your definition of a good president.
I was and still am a supporter of Ted Cruz. I think that he was probably the one candidate that might have a chance of keeping us a constitutional republic. Is he perfect, of course not. I am a history buff and I have studied our nation’s history frontwards and backwards. We have wandered from the foundation of our country, just as many have wondered from the foundation of our faith. Those two things combined make for a very dangerous cocktail. I think this is why we are seeing almost a militant support of Mr. Trump and a lot of the young people flocking to Bernie Sanders. They want an outsider to go into Washington and kick some butt. I am not sure even Mr. Trump will be able to kick as much as people and he himself thinks he can. The beast is big, ill tempered, and not very likely to give up easily.
How can we ask our children to respect a person like Mr. Trump or Mrs. Clinton. The answer is not an easy one. You can’t. During the last eight years I have told myself that I do not respect Mr. Obama’s philosophical beliefs, yet I do respect the office of president and Mr. Obama as a fallen human being. With each action taken by the president that I do not agree with my respect for the office of president decreases. This is tough for someone who grew up during a time when patriotism was still held high and the office of president considered a respectable office to attain. I believe that every president thinks that they are doing what is best for the country, or at least their version of what the country should be. I can respect that they are holding to their values, just as I can respect that a Muslim is dedicated to their beliefs, but that does not make their beliefs and actions right. God is the ultimate judge on what is right and what is wrong.
So, what can we do? How are we to vote? Do we hold our nose and vote for the candidate that doesn’t smell as bad? First we pray for the candidates. We pray that Mr. Trump, Mrs. Clinton, or even Mr. Sanders have a come to Jesus moment and realize the errors of their ways. That they realize they need Jesus as Lord and King of their lives. I can honestly say that I doubt any of them truly have a relationship with Jesus. Matthew 7:15-16 says, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits…” This holds true for all believers. No good fruit, no faith. Does it matter? To me it does, unfortunately to many people today it does not. Second, we vote. Now we are responsible to vote, but we do not have to vote for the candidates that they put before us. We can write someone in, or not vote for any of them. I know the argument is that a no vote for trump is a vote for Hilary. No, a no vote for Trump is also a no vote for Hilary and a yes vote for our conscience. A write-in candidate will not win, but our conscience will at least be clear. I think that both sides are going to have issues because the Bernie Sanders people will not vote for Hillary. Third, if God wants Clinton or Trump in the office, my vote for or against them will not be able to stop God’s will. He will put them in office. My responsibility is to pray for them after they are elected.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 – “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Vote your conscience, pray for the candidates, respect the office of president, and respect the person in office as a fallen human being. That is all we can do.
